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At least half of the Western military aid meant for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders is slow to arrive, aggravating an already difficult shortage of artillery shells that is forcing frontline units to ration ammunition.
The supply bottlenecks are putting Ukrainian lives and territory at risk, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rusem Umerov said Sunday during a forum marking the second anniversary of the start of the largest ground war in Europe since the end of World War II.
“Fifty percent of commitments are not delivered on time. At the moment, commitment does not constitute delivery,” Mr. Umerov said, according to the Kyiv Post.
Despite economic sanctions from the West, Russia has an economy of almost $2 trillion and has budgeted more than $150 billion every year exclusively for the Kremlin’s war effort. A further delay of military assistance will mean that Kyiv will “lose people [and] lose territories” to the Russians, Mr. Umerov said.
Two years after Ukrainian soldiers managed to halt Russia’s invasion and claw back half of the territory that was initially lost, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there’s no shortage of courage on the part of Ukrainian soldiers.
“Right now, there’s a shortage of bullets,” Mr. Sullivan said on “Fox News Sunday.” “The way to fill that shortage is for the Congress, on a bipartisan basis, to pass funding that will give Ukraine the tools it needs to succeed and to ensure that Russia fails in this brutal conquest.”
As the war enters its third year, lawmakers in Washington are united in their admiration for the bravery of Ukraine’s citizen soldiers. But that congressional solidarity buckles when it comes to providing Kyiv with arms and ammo.
The United States played a central part in building a coalition of nations that has provided Ukraine with critical military, economic and humanitarian support throughout this “unconscionable war,” said Sen. Jack Reed, Rhode Island Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“U.S. support for Ukraine is a strategic investment that has saved lives and strengthened America’s economic and security interests on a global scale,” Mr. Reed said. “A free Ukraine benefits the U.S. and global stability, and will help deter future aggression.”
He said the Senate produced a bipartisan support package for Ukraine and hoped the “dysfunctional roadblocks” in the House of Representatives could be overcome before it’s too late.
“Ukraine is fighting for the values that we cherish: freedom, democracy, civil society, and peace,” Mr. Reed said. “Congress must step up to protect the American people and our national interests by passing the National Security Supplemental.”
Rep. Michael McCaul, Texas Republican and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he remains in awe of the bravery of the Ukrainian people who have held off the Russian juggernaut for two years.
But he said the White House has yet to send them critical long-range weapons from the U.S. inventory such as the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS.
“In the fact of this administration’s weakness, President [Vladimir] Putin is growing emboldened. We see that following the murder of Alexei Navalny and the Russian capture of Avdiivka,” Mr. McCaul said Saturday, referring to a key Ukrainian city. “Moreover, adversaries around the globe, like the Chinese Communist Party, Iran, and North Korea, are exploiting the lack of American deterrence and taking actions that threaten our interests.”
He said Congress must “find a path” as soon as possible to continue providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs to win like the ATACMS rockets.
“This will rejuvenate our defense industrial base, create American jobs, help modernize our military arsenal, and restore deterrence against all our adversaries,” Mr. McCaul said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the situation on the ground in Ukraine remains extremely serious. Mr. Putin’s aim to dominate Ukraine has not changed and there are no indications that he is preparing for a peaceful resolution.
In an address on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the war, Mr. Stoltenberg said Ukraine has demonstrated “remarkable skill and fierce determination” against overwhelming odds.
“Ukraine did not collapse in weeks as many feared it would. [Ukraine has] captured half the territory seized by Russia, pushed Russia back from large parts of the Black Sea, and inflicted heavy losses on the Russian forces,” Mr. Stoltenberg said.
Mr. Putin started the war because he feared NATO would align with Eastern European countries that share a border with Russia even if they were no longer Warsaw Pact members, Mr. Stoltenberg said.
“But, he has achieved the exact opposite: Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before,” he said. “Ukraine will join NATO. It is not a question of ‘if,’ but of ‘when.’”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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