A series of "hard allies" speak up when Ukraine is at a disadvantage against Russia

Pressure is mounting on the US Congress to approve additional aid to Ukraine as senior officials and leaders on both sides of the Atlantic issue stark warnings that Russia will overwhelm Ukraine unless ammunition begins arriving on the front lines soon.

With crucial aid still stalled in the US House of Representatives and the Ukrainian military facing shortages of both firepower and manpower, lawmakers in the Eastern European country have passed a controversial bill on troop mobilization.

The move came just hours after Russia launched another missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities late on April 11.

“The attacks in Ukraine over the past 24 hours are another terrible reminder that Ukraine’s needs are critical,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said as she called on the US House of Representatives to hold a vote on whether to approve billions of dollars in new aid.

World - A series of — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to another wave of Russian missile attacks on April 11, 2024, tweeting: “We need air defense systems and other defense support, not turning a blind eye and long discussions.” Photo: Getty Images

“Obstacles on the road”

US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters on April 11 that no agreement has been reached on advancing an aid package for Ukraine as negotiations between US House Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House continue.

Mr. Scalise told reporters that Mr. Johnson was negotiating a different package from the $60 billion Ukraine aid package that the Senate passed on February 13 and included some of the Republican demands, the AP reported.

The Republican lawmaker did not provide details on what concessions House Democrats and the Biden administration would have to make for the aid package to come to a vote.

Leaders in neighboring Canada, however, continue to express confidence that the US will eventually provide support to Ukraine, with Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair recently calling the legislative gridlock in Washington, DC, “a roadblock in the road.”

“I have worked with the Americans for a very long time, and I judge the character of the people I work with to be strong and resolute, and they are absolutely committed to supporting Ukraine,” Mr. Blair said, adding that he did not know anyone “more committed to defending Ukraine” than his counterpart, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

But Mr. Austin is not the one to decide the fate of the additional aid package to Ukraine. Only Mr. Johnson can bring the bill to a vote, and the top Republican lawmaker cannot do so while he remains caught in the middle of divisions within his own party.

A spokesman for Mr Blair confirmed on April 11 that the Canadian defense minister had not had any conversations with Mr Johnson or other congressional leaders about Ukraine. The spokesman added that Mr Blair had no plans to have such conversations “at this time.”

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly was contacted by Global News to ask whether she had contacted US lawmakers to press for aid. Other “hardline allies” of Ukraine, including UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have publicly called on Johnson to act. However, a scheduled meeting between Cameron and Johnson was cancelled due to scheduling issues.

“Whichever side cannot return fire will lose”

Political pressure is mounting as military officials point to contrasting situations on both sides of the conflict: Ukraine is running out of ammunition and manpower, while Russia is building up its defense industrial base at a faster pace than before.

On April 10, General Christopher Cavoli, head of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces in Europe, told the US House Armed Services Committee that Ukraine would exhaust its existing stocks of artillery and air defense ammunition “in a relatively short period of time” without continued US support.

By contrast, Russia is expected to have a 10:1 advantage in artillery shells “within weeks,” Mr. Cavoli added.

“Based on my experience in over 37 years of service in the US Army, if one side can fire and the other side can’t fire back, the side that can’t fire back loses,” the top US general said. “So the stakes are very high.”

Similarly, General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Canadian Department of National Defence, said on April 9 that Russia outnumbers Ukraine by a ratio of 4:1. General Eyre said he believes the conflict has become a war of attrition.

“We are also seeing Ukrainian systems buckle under the sheer number of Russian drone and missile attacks. And so the situation is extremely urgent,” the Canadian official said.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly warned that if the US Congress did not approve a new aid package, Ukraine “would lose the war.”

In another development, Canadian Defense Minister Blair said on April 8 that he had reached an agreement with the Czech Republic to buy $60 million worth of artillery shells to be shipped immediately to the front lines, replacing a $300 million deal to produce 1.5 million shells in Canada that would have taken more than two years to complete.

“The discussion between me and all the other allies outside the US is that while the Americans are dealing with their problems, the rest of us have to step up and do more,” Mr Blair said .

Minh Duc (According to Global News, Kyiv Independent)

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