“Dire situation at the front”: Pentagon urges Congress to approve aid

Representatives of the US Department of Defense met with members of the House of Representatives and urged them to approve military aid to Ukraine, as its defenders are now facing “some dire battlefield conditions”.

This was reported by AP.

"Whether it’s munitions, whether it’s vehicles, whether it’s platforms,” Ukraine is being outmatched by the Russians," said General Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"I’ll just tell you that Ukraine right now is facing some dire battlefield conditions," he added.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was sitting next to Brown, told the US lawmakers that time is of the essence.

"We’re already seeing things on the battlefield begin to shift a bit in Russia’s favor. We are seeing them make incremental gains. We’re seeing the Ukrainians be challenged in terms of holding the line," he said.

Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum drew attention to the "scary" comments made by General Christopher Cavoli, the top US military commander in Europe, last week. He told the committee that Russia would outgun Ukraine 10 to one within weeks if Congress did not approve funding.

"Without the United States assistance, Ukraine will literally run out of ammunition and more civilians in Ukraine will be murdered by Russia," McCollum said.

On April 12, Cavoli said that Russia poses a "chronic threat" to the United States, and that the seriousness of the situation in the war in Ukraine cannot be overstated given its need for foreign aid to continue the fight. If the United States withdraws its support, Ukraine could lose.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 18/04/2024