The massive US aid package is on its way – Expert: “Could end in a slowdown” – 2024-04-26 09:33:06

The US Senate approved a giant aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday. The support package of around 60 billion dollars has also received the signature of US President Joe Biden.

For comparison, Finland’s defense budget is six billion euros.

According to the news agency Reuters, Biden promised that the arms deliveries will start as early as next week.

Ukraine currently has two major problems – a lack of war material and a shortage of manpower.

Iltalehti’s war expert Emil Kastehelmi estimates in Tilannestudio that the US aid package offers Ukraine the keys to a more successful fight, at least for the rest of the year.

The contents of the package are not public, but according to Kastehelmi, Ukraine needs “everything”. The armed forces have huge aspirations.

Ukrainian troops firing a 2S22 Bohdana howitzer in the Kharkiv region in September 2023. Serhii Nuzhnenko (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) / the Collection of war.ukraine.ua

Although the material will be delivered to the front already next week, it will be received by tired and undersized troops.

– Many brigades are fighting undermanned at the moment, and it has not been possible to rotate all troops at rest for a long time, says Kastehelmi.

Ukraine is currently in the process of implementing its controversial mobilization laws. Their results do not appear on the front line as quickly as the aid package.

The US aid package also provides moral support. Those who go to the front know that equipment is coming.

According to Kastehelmi, we can now talk about power relations tilting in a more positive direction for Ukraine, even after the aid package, Ukraine is defending itself against a bigger enemy.

Russia will probably increase its attacks on Ukraine in order to take advantage of the delay before the aid starts to take effect, Kastehelmi estimates. From Russia’s point of view, the danger is that the regional gains it has achieved recently may slip through its fingers if Ukraine is able to resist the solution aggressively sought by Russia.

– The series of Russian attacks that have become expensive, time-consuming and lasted for months may end in a letdown, Kastehelmi estimates.

At the same time, it is true that in some areas Russia can still make gains despite everything. It still has power in reserve, which by concentrating it can create threatening centers of gravity.

The arms aid package arrives at an absolutely critical moment.

– It would be best if things didn’t happen in the last red minute. However, there was no desire for this in the United States, the willingness to delay the package was too great.

Watch the entire discussion on the topic in the video at the beginning of the article. You can watch the entire Tilannestudio episode here.