Ukrainian and Western leaders laud US aid package while the Kremlin warns of 'further ruin'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately wanted support bundle handed by the U.S. House of Representatives, because the Kremlin warned that passage of the invoice would “further ruin” Ukraine and trigger extra deaths.

Ukrainian commanders and analysts say the long-awaited $61 billion army support bundle — together with $13.8 billion for Ukraine to purchase weapons — will assist gradual Russia’s incremental advances within the struggle’s third 12 months — however that extra will probably be wanted for Kyiv to regain the offensive.

The House swiftly accepted $95 billion in international support for Ukraine, Israel and different U.S. allies in a uncommon Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded collectively after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American help for repelling Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had warned that his nation would lose the struggle with out U.S. funding, stated that he was grateful for U.S. lawmaker’ resolution.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy stated that the help bundle would “send the Kremlin a powerful signal that (Ukraine) will not be the second Afghanistan.”

Zelenskyy stated Ukraine would prioritize long-range weapons and air defenses to “break the plans of Russia” in an anticipated “full-scale offensive,” for which Ukrainian forces are making ready.

The support bundle will go to the U.S. Senate, which may go it as quickly as Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to signal it instantly.

It nonetheless may take weeks for it to achieve the entrance line, the place it’s desperately wanted.

“With this we can stop (Russian troops) and reduce our losses,” stated infantry soldier Oleksandr. He has been preventing round Avdiivka, the town within the Donetsk area that Ukraine misplaced to Russia in February after months of intense fight.

Ammunition shortages linked to the help holdup over the previous six months have led Ukrainian army commanders to ration shells, an obstacle that Russia seized on this 12 months — taking the town of Avdiivka and at the moment inching in direction of the city of Chasiv Yar, additionally in Donetsk.

“The Russians come at us in waves — we become exhausted, we have to leave our positions. This is repeated many times,” Oleksandr instructed The Associated Press. He didn’t give his full title for safety causes. “Not having enough ammunition means we can’t cover the area that is our responsibility to hold when they are assaulting us.”

In Kyiv, many welcomed the U.S. vote as a chunk of fine news after a tricky interval that has seen Russia grind out positive factors alongside the entrance line, and step up assaults on Ukraine’s power system and different infrastructure.

“I heard our president officially say that we can lose the war without this help. Thanks very much and yesterday was a great event,” stated Kateryna Ruda, 43.

Tatyana Ryavchenuk, the spouse of a Ukrainian soldier, famous the necessity for extra weapons, lamenting that troopers “have nothing to protect us.”

“They need weapons, they need gear, they need it. We always need help. Because without help, our enemy can advance further and can be in the center of our city,” the 26-year-old stated.

Other Western leaders, who’ve been scrambling to give you methods to fill the hole left by stalled U.S. army support, additionally lauded Congress’ resolution.

“Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO Allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer, in Europe & North America,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg posted on X.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia,” and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to as the vote it “a strong signal in these times.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson, whereas additionally noting the holdup in Congress. “Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine,” he wrote on X.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday referred to as the approval of support to Ukraine “expected and predictable.”

The resolution “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news company Ria Novosti.

“The new aid package will not save, but, on the contrary, will kill thousands and thousands more people, prolong the conflict, and bring even more grief and devastation,” Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, wrote on Telegram.

Washington-based suppose tank the Institute for the Study of War stated the logistics of getting U.S. help to the entrance line would imply that “Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks” whereas ready for it to reach.

“But they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed U.S. assistance arrives promptly,” it stated in its newest evaluation of the battle.

Olexiy Haran, professor of comparative politics on the National University of Kyiv-Mohlya Academy, stated that Ukraine was grateful for support from the U.S. and different Western international locations, “but the problem is, frankly speaking, it’s too late and it’s not enough.”

“This is the third year of the war and we still don’t have aviation, new aviation. We don’t have enough missiles, so we cannot close the skies. Moreover, recently we didn’t have even artillery shells,” he stated.

“That’s why the situation was very, very difficult and the Russians used it to start their offensive. So that’s why it is so important for us. And definitely if we’d received it half a year before, we would have saved the lives of many Ukrainians, civilians included.”

Matthew Savill, army sciences director on the Royal United Services Institute suppose tank, stated that the help, whereas welcome, “can probably only help stabilize the Ukrainian position for this year and begin preparations for operations in 2025.”

“Predictability of funding through 2024 and into 2025 will help the Ukrainians plan the defense this year, especially if European supplies of ammunition also come through, but further planning and funds will be required for 2025, and we have a U.S. election between now and then,” he stated.

Responding to a query on NBC about how lengthy Ukraine will nonetheless want support packages, Zelenskyy stated “it depends on when we actually get weapons on the ground.”

“The decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, we had it a year ago,” he stated. “We still don’t have the jets in Ukraine.”

In different developments:

— On the bottom, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated Sunday that its troops had taken management of the village of Bohdanivka within the Donetsk area. Ukrainian officers haven’t but commented.

— One individual was killed and 4 others had been wounded in Russian shelling in Ukrainsk on Sunday, in line with the prosecutor’s workplace in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk area. In the Odesa area, 4 individuals had been wounded in a missile assault, Gov. Oleh Kiper stated.

— Two suspects had been detained Sunday after two Ukrainian troopers killed a police officer at a checkpoint within the Vinnytsia area. The troopers opened hearth on Maksym Zaretskyi, 20, early Saturday after he stopped their automobile for a routine inspection. Zaretskyi’s companion was wounded however survived. The head of Ukraine’s National Police, Ivan Vyhovsky, stated the suspects, a father and son aged 52 and 26, had been detained in Ukraine’s Odesa area.

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Elise Morton reported from London. Vasilisa Stepanenko and Jill Lawless contributed to this report from Kyiv.

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Follow AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Samya Kullab And Elise Morton, The Associated Press