Under the constant fire from the United States and the West, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has not ended since February this year. The United States and the West have spent their money to provide weapons and other support to and Ukraine , but the Ukrainian army has been retreating steadily, losing city after city. What is the reason?
Recently, a video has spread wildly on the Internet, and even China website has reprinted it. The video shows that Russian and Ukrainian soldiers bartered at the border line at night. A closer look showed that the Ukrainian soldiers were holding anti-tank weapons and exchanged 10 boxes of cans from the Russian army.
It is worth mentioning that during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States provided Ukraine with a large number of anti-tank weapons, including " Javelin anti-tank missiles.
In mid-June, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the latest batch of military assistance to Ukraine , amounting to up to 1 billion US dollars, including the "Harpoon" coastal defense system, more 155mm howitzers and more large amounts of ammunition for the High Mobility Rocket Artillery System (HIMARS)
On June 15, US Defense Secretary Laue. De Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, where 45 countries focused on providing Ukraine with the assistance it needs. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft delivers M777 howitzers】
Another $1 billion in new U.S. military assistance to Ukraine will support Ukraine’s most urgent needs for artillery, as well as coastal defense, secure communications and optics components and other recent priorities.
The latest military aid package comes in two forms. The first is the Presidential Appropriation Authority, or PDA, which allows the president to draw funds from existing U.S. funds under certain circumstances, according to documents provided by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Transfer existing weapons, ammunition and materials from military stockpiles and provide them to other countries
About $350 million of the $1 billion in military aid announced is the twelfth to date. Using appropriation authority for the first time, the military assistance includes 18 155mm howitzers, 36,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, 18 tactical vehicles, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, four additional tactical vehicles, as well as spare parts and other equipment.
[U.S. military aid to Ukraine Harpoon coastal defense missiles]
html The remainder of the $11 billion in military aid comes from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which the U.S. Department of Defense has provided since Russia first invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2015. This program has been used to support Ukraine.
The support provided by the Ukraine Security Assistance Program is different from that provided by the PDA in that $650 million of the $1 billion in military aid announced is provided by USAI. Two " Harpoon " coastal defense systems, thousands of radio equipment, thousands of night vision equipment, thermal sights and other optical components. It also includes funding for training, repairs, maintenance, transportation and administrative costs.
[U.S. Assistance to Ukraine HIMARS High Mobility Rocket Artillery System]
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the United States has provided approximately $5.6 billion in security assistance support to Ukraine. However, the total amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine before and after is no less than 5.6 billion U.S. dollars, and it is still unknown how much will actually reach Ukraine. On June 14, 2022, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Mariyar said when participating in a TV program that Ukraine currently only receives 10% of the total weapons and equipment claimed by Western countries.
Both Russia and Ukraine are currently suffering heavy losses. Ukraine is losing about 100 soldiers every day, which is similar to the number estimated by the United States. At the same time, Russia lost about 20-30% of its armored units due to fierce Ukrainian resistance. As U.S. and Western military aid continues to arrive, the war may become more tragic.
Regarding the West’s recent increase in providing military equipment to Ukraine, Russian President Putin commented in an interview that the West’s assistance to Ukraine with weapons has only one goal, which is to delay the armed conflict as long as possible, and it will not change anything at all. Although Western countries have provided Ukraine with a lot of weapons and equipment, they still prohibit the provision of equipment including fighter jets and long-range missiles. They are also worried that Russia may attack NATO countries.
