(IntegrityPress.org) – Andriy Yermak, who heads up the Ukrainian Office of the President, has praised the U.S. for its latest aid package to Ukraine, which he says will help to prove that Ukraine is able to continue its defensive actions against Russia, which invaded in February 2022.
On Monday, April 22, Yermak, an appointee of Ukraine’s President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, said that by passing the $61 billion aid package for his country, American lawmakers had sent a message to the world that the U.S. was still the “leader of the free world” and was willing to stand with those defending themselves against aggressors who choose to flout international law.
The aid package, which had been debated in Capitol Hill for seven months and faced fierce opposition by some Republicans opposed to sending more money to the embattled country, has been gratefully received by Kyiv, with President Zelenskyy claiming before its approval that his country would be unable to win its war without it as it was rapidly running out of ammunition and other vital supplies.
Despite the urgency of Ukraine’s need, it could still take weeks for supplies to reach troops on Ukraine’s front line after the bill’s ratification. This could allow Russia a significant advantage in its offensives. Moscow has been reported to have seized on the delay in replenishment of Ukrainian supplies, ramping up its efforts and seizing the fortified hilltop town of Chasiv Yar and some of its surrounds in the Donetsk region on April 21.
Yermak said his country had a particular need for long-range missiles and air defense, and said that the package, which includes over $13 billion for Ukraine to purchase weapons, was “extremely important”. While Ukraine also receives support from European allies keen to help it beat back Russia’s invasion, European aid pales in comparison to U.S. aid, which is estimated to total approximately $136 billion including this latest $61 billion package.
Copyright 2024, IntegrityPress.org
