Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, was put on a peace record with Russia, and Washington and some NATO allies worked hard to make that happen. Zelensky’s trip to the UN and Washington was intended to mobilize support for the war to maintain it after the effort was unsuccessful. In particular, he was able to persuade Congress to approve$ 24.9 billion in additional help and fresh weapons for Ukraine. In addition, & nbsp,
Austin and Blinken are accompanied by Zelensky. US Department of Defense imageThe House of Representatives, where all money bills must originate, is currently having trouble keeping federal funding going thanks to the ongoing resolution & nbsp, ( CR ). The$ 244.9 billion for Ukraine is not included in any proposed CR, at least not yet.
The Biden administration’s request for Ukraine is divided into three categories:$ 13.1 billion for military assistance,$ 8.5 billion purportedly for humanitarian aid, and$ 2.3 billion” financing and & nbsp, to catalyze donors through the World Bank ,” whatever that may mean.
Zelensky fired six deputy defence officials simply before leaving Kyiv, & nbsp, on charges of fraud. His motion was intended to stop the Biden administration, which is accused of providing cash to Ukraine without any conditions, and to prevent the disappearance of a large portion of that money. & nbsp, The administration has prohibited any financial accounting for Ukraine.
In the past, the United States was the one who opposed any peace process, but that foe came before the US and NATO weapons programs, arsenals were depleted, and attempts to unseat Vladimir Putin were unsuccessful. Washington and NATO military Ukraine to breach Russian mechanisms in an effort to make up for it.
Ukraine used up the majority of its corporate resources because there was no real milestone. On the Zaphorize front, two significant brigades— the 25th Air Mobile & nbsp and the 82nd Air Assault — lost so many soldiers and equipment, much of it provided by NATO, that they were rendered combat-ineffective and withdrew.
The Russian offensive keeps going strong, using up more men, equipment, and nbsp. According to reports from & nbsp, Ukraine is losing more than 1, 000 people per day, sometimes close to 2, 000, with little to show for it. Although the majority of Ukraine’s defense strategies were based on NATO computer models and extensive knowledge support, the US and some of its NATO partners made it clear they disapproved of them. & nbsp,
Just about everyone( China, Brazil, the & nbsp, Pope, & nbsp, South Africa, & nbsp, Egypt, & nbsp, Senegal, & nbsp, Congo – Brazzaville, & nbsp, Comoros, & nbsp, Zambia, & nbsp, Uganda, Denmark, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia ) who can offer a peace plan has done so or offered to mediate( Israel, Denmark, Türkiye ). & nbsp, A few of these made initial progress, & nbsp, & nbsp, negotiations led by Türkiye and Israel.
Ukraine’s official status has the following key aspects:
1. Ukraine does not discuss with Vladimir Putin, but evidently did talk to Russians sometimes. & nbsp, This is supported by a & nbsp, Ukrainian Decree, signed into law by Zelensky.
2. Ukraine does not deliver any territory under any circumstances. & nbsp, This applies to Crimea and the Donbas although in earlier negotiations Crimea was on the table.
3. Ukraine demands that all Russian troops leave Russian place and that war criminals, including Putin, get put on trial.
4. Ukraine demands & nbsp, security guarantees & nbsp, from NATO or membership in NATO. & nbsp, It also demands membership in the European Union, but EU membership & nbsp, has run into roadblocks. & nbsp, The US allegedly is” working on” security guarantees, but the effort appears stalled or paused.
Meanwhile Ukraine is demanding & nbsp, long – range weapons & nbsp, to attack Russian territory. & nbsp, The latest & nbsp, request is for ATACMS & nbsp,( MGM – 140 ), a tactical ground – launched ballistic missile with a range of 300 km and for the German – Swedish & nbsp, Taurus( KEPD – 350 ) air – launched cruise missile with a range of 500 km. & nbsp, Taurus would augment & nbsp, Stormshadow, & nbsp, already in Ukraine’s inventory and adapted to the & nbsp, Su – 24.
In the case of ATACMS, neither the US nor Germany have agreed to supply them, at least not already. Victoria Nuland, the Deputy Secretary of State, has been working to take the battle to extremely important targets inside Russia. ATACMS may travel to Ukraine if she prevails in the interior discussion.
The goals of Russia’s battle appear to be influenced by all of this. The majority of the fighting, according to & nbsp, is taking place in Donbas, Zaphorize, the Kherson region, and Crimea on behalf of Russia. & nbsp, However, Russian leaders are increasingly discussing taking over the Ukrainian government and waging war in important cities like Odesa. & nbsp: To accomplish that, Russia would need to assemble more forces and provide a larger backstop, which could be too much.
On the other hand, given that Ukraine is short on both labor and supplies, any battle expansion may be difficult for it. Nobody is aware of how tenacious the current Ukrainian government is. & nbsp: It is unclear how many front-line troops Ukraine can commit to the front lines of battle.
The continuation of the battle is also causing growing sadness in the United States. Realistically, the war has drained military resources and strengthened the China-Russia alliance, putting the US at a disadvantage in Europe and Asia.
HIMARS, a good example, is & nbsp. The US has put off supplying HIMARS to Taiwan, which requires the program. Yet the Marine users on Okinawa are managing their HIMARS rounds, according to nbsp. & nbsp, Having ample HIMARS to help our friends will take time, but if Ukraine keeps firing them at the Russians, there won’t be enough for others.
However, Ukraine is causing delays in many other arms sales to Taiwan. For instance, 155mm howitzers’ anticipated entry has been postponed for at least a season.
Zelensky might convince Congress to set aside additional funds for the battle. Andnbsp, However, this might also get his final triumph. & nbsp, He might receive a condensed package and be sent on his way. & nbsp, It’s unlikely that he’ll come back.
Senior fellow Stephen Bryen & nbsp works for the Yorktown Institute and the Center for Security Policy. His Substack, Weapons and Strategy was the original subject of this article. With authority, Asia Times is republishing it.