Servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armored personnel carrier in the settlement of Bohdanivka, located in a disengagement area near the contact line with Russian-backed separatist rebels, in Donetsk Region, November 9. REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko
Daily Signal: Setting the Record Straight on the Value of US Military Aid to Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine—U.S. military aid is a luxury, not a necessity, for Ukrainian combat operations to counter Russian aggression. From what I’ve seen, the country is perfectly capable of fighting its own war—with or without the American military aid.
However, recent news reports and social media commentaries highlight the fact that Ukraine’s armed forces suffered at least 13 combat deaths during the 55 days in which the Trump administration withheld nearly $400 million in military aid from mid-July to mid-September.
The implication is that Ukraine is treading water in its war effort, suspended over the abyss of defeat at Russia’s hands only by the lift of uninterrupted U.S. military aid. The instant that assistance is cut off, this line of thinking goes, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself founders.
Well, that conclusion doesn’t jibe with what I’ve observed while covering the war, often from the front lines, since the summer of 2014.
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WNU Editor: I concur with the above analysis that U.S. military aid has not made a serious difference on the battlefield that many in the U.S. which it did. And the reason why is simple. There are so many weapons and tons of ammunition in Ukraine that they could use existing stockpiles and fight for years before they run out.
