The US and allies want to help Ukraine strengthen defense after an aid shortage

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States hopes its new arms shipments will help Ukraine rebuild defenses and restructure its armed forces as it recovers from a shortfall in U.S. aid, but does not expect Kiev to launch large-scale offensive operations against Russian forces. in the short term, a US defense official said on Thursday.

The US will host a virtual meeting of international aid donors from Ukraine on Friday, days after Congress emerged from a six-month deadlock to approve a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. President Joe Biden’s administration quickly announced that $1 billion in artillery, air defense and other equipment would soon go to Ukraine’s front lines.

The influx of weapons could boost Kiev’s chances of averting a major Russian breakthrough in the east, just over two years since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, military analysts say.

But it remains unclear how much pressure Kiev can put on Russia after months of artillery rationing as supplies run low. Kiev also faces battlefield manpower shortages and questions remain about the strength of fortifications along its vast 1,000-kilometer front line.

The US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aim was to enable Ukraine so its forces could “regain the initiative”. to do a lot of rebuilding to take on all these new supplies after rationing ammunition and other supplies… and make sure they can defend their positions,” the official said.

“So I do not expect any large-scale offensive in the short term,” the official said, expressing optimism that Kiev would be able to exert “significantly greater pressure” on Russian forces, including in Russian-occupied Crimea.

STOPPING RUSSIA’S INITIATIVE

Moscow has had the battlefield advantage since capturing the ancient bastion city of Avdiivka in the eastern Donbas region in February, and its forces have been slowly advancing with the help of larger numbers of troops and artillery shells.

They are now attacking the city of Khasiv Yar, located on high ground that, if captured, would bring Moscow closer to the remaining Kiev-held Donbas cities of Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Zelenskiy said this month that Russia can now fire ten times more artillery shells than Ukrainian forces. In the east, Russian forces are seven to 10 times larger than Kiev’s, a Ukrainian general said this month.

U.S. officials have said for months that new U.S. aid was critical, even if Ukraine would need some time to rebuild momentum.

Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a forum at Georgetown University that Kiev had proven in the past it could use U.S. aid effectively, and said its forces had recovered half the territory that was taken by the Russian forces. beginning of their invasion.

“Why this assistance is so important for Ukraine is that when they have the necessary capacity, they have been effective,” Brown said.

Biden, a Democrat who is expected to face Republican former President Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, has pressured lawmakers for six months to approve more funding for Ukraine.

Trump objected to the aid to Ukraine, and some Republicans in Congress refused to support it, questioning whether Ukraine could ever prevail.

The U.S. defense official, briefing a small group of reporters, did not directly address whether allies should do more to mitigate the future impact of U.S. political volatility on aid to Ukraine, but expressed optimism about long-term support for Kiev.

“We are very pleased to see that we have solid bipartisan support for Ukraine,” the official said. “There has really been very steady support from the Allies over the past year. And we expect that support to continue.”

In addition to U.S. aid, the European Union is providing aid, including a Czech Republic-led initiative that will supply Ukraine with some 300,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells starting in June.

Germany also announced plans in April to supply a US-made Patriot air defense system and air defense missiles.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Editing by Timothy Heritage)