- Ukraine could face more attacks from Russia, even if U.S. help is on the way, ISW believes.
- The ISW says Russia can “take advantage of the limited window before new US aid arrives.”
- The House finally passed more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine after months of delays.
The House of Representatives may have finally approved more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, but the country could still face increasing attacks from Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of the war.
“The situation on the front line is therefore likely to continue to deteriorate during this period, particularly if Russian forces intensify their attacks to take advantage of the limited window before the arrival of new American aid,” l wrote on Saturday. ‘ISW in a report.
Passage of the Ukraine aid bill was delayed for months due to fierce opposition from House Republicans. The legislative package finally passed the House on Saturday, with 112 Republicans voting against it.
The bill, however, still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president before aid can reach Ukraine.
“These requirements and the logistics of transporting US equipment to the front line in Ukraine will likely mean that new US aid will not begin to affect the situation on the front line for several weeks,” writes the US think tank.
Ukraine, according to the ISW, would “suffer additional setbacks in the coming weeks,” although it should still be able to “blunt the current Russian offensive assuming a resumption of U.S. aid comes quickly “.
Although the United States began as a strong supporter of Ukraine, its support for the war effort waned, in part because of opposition from the Republican Party.
Republicans have repeatedly blocked the Biden administration’s attempts to send aid to Ukraine, arguing the money could be better spent solving America’s domestic problems.
U.S. aid would provide Ukraine with a critical lifeline as it grapples with a reinvigorated Russian military. On April 10, U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli told a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the Russian military “is actually now larger – by 15 percent – than it was not when it invaded Ukraine.”
“The gravity of this moment cannot be overstated: If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine could lose,” said Cavoli, who is also NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe.
Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.
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