Ukraine will not have the chance to survive the war with Russia unless Washington resupplies its military with artillery shells and air defense interceptors, the top US general in Europe Christopher Cavoli has warned.
The commander of European Command told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that Russia was currently firing five artillery shells for every one fired by Ukrainian forces and that disparity could increase in the coming weeks to 10 to one.
“If one side can shoot and the other side can’t shoot back, the side that can’t shoot back loses. So the stakes are very high.”
Ukraine is “really dependent this year on us, Mr. Chairman. And without our support, they will not be able to prevail,” the commander said.
The remarks were made as President Joe Biden is struggling to get a big Ukraine aid package through Congress.
The package that would provide $60 billion in military assistance faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives, where members of the Republican Party are divided on the matter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has been refusing to call a vote on the bill.
Ukraine’s President Vlodymir Zelensky has made increasingly urgent calls for US lawmakers to approve the bill, warning that his country could run out of air defense missiles soon.
“If they [Russia] keep hitting every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it,” he said in an interview aired on Ukrainian television on Saturday.
Since Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian leader has been appealing to Kiev’s Western allies to provide more arms and ammunition, particularly long-range missiles, fighter jets, and air defense systems.
Zelensky has claimed that “if Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.”
