A Ukrainian soldier sits in a tank on the front line. IT photo
The final arms aid package for Ukraine this year includes “ammunition for air defense, other parts of the air defense system, additional ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), 155mm artillery shells and 105mm, anti-armor ammunition and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition,” AFP quoted a statement from the US State Department on December 27 as saying.
“It is critical now that Congress act quickly, as soon as possible, to advance our national security interests by helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future,” the statement emphasized. .
In a post on social network X, Mr. Andriy Yermak, Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, thanked the US government for the above aid package and emphasized that Kiev “will win”.
“Thank you for your help. We will win,” Mr. Yermak wrote.
The Joe Biden administration considers supporting Kiev a priority, but a group of right-wing Republicans opposes this. Republicans have refused to approve new aid to Ukraine if Democrats do not agree to tighten controls on the southern US border.
Democrats in the Senate tried to reach a last-minute deal with Republicans last week, but the two sides had to spend the year-end holidays without making major progress. The US Congress will return to work on January 8, 2024. However, even if the US Senate – controlled by the Democratic Party with a narrow majority – reaches consensus, the agreement regarding the new aid package for Ukraine still needs to be passed in the House of Representatives, where the Republicans holds a slim majority.
Ukrainian commander warns of “hot” war situation in 2024
In an interview with BBC on December 27, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavriia Strategic Operations Force, predicted that in 2024 Ukraine may face more difficulties in terms of combat operations than in 2023.
“Next year will be even more difficult. Because we must end the hostilities and liberate our territories. And the closer we get to completing this task – that is, reaching our borders – the more difficult it will be “The Russians know this and will do everything to prevent us from completing this task,” Mr. Tarnavskyi declared.
When asked whether the expectation that the war will end next year is realistic or not, Mr. Tarnavskyi emphasized: “I never raised the issue of ‘ending the war’. The issue is winning. Because the Ending war can be done in different ways. For our army, ending war means victory.”
Previously, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that next year will be different from 2023 due to changes in war technology. At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief noted that the Russian army is not lagging behind the Armed Forces of Ukraine and that a fierce confrontation between the two warring parties regarding the use of different technologies in the war has occurred. and is happening.
