In European Tour, Zelensky Reaps Billions More in Promised Military Aid
NY Times
23-05-15 23:00
Germany has pledged to give Ukraine a nearly $3 billion package of weapons, as well as making less concrete promises of additional weapons from France and Italy. The United States remains by far the largest supplier of weapons to Ukraine but support for Ukraine in the US is likely to come under pressure. US white house officials have said privately that they remain confident they have bipartisan support in Congress to continue helping Ukraine in the near term. The European Union package of aid includes long-range missiles, attack drones and tanks, and other armoured vehicles, which will fulfill many but not all the demands for weapons that Ukraine has said it needs for a counteroffensive. Military analysts have said the European reinforcements make it highly likely that Ukrainian troops forces will soon strike back at Russian forces that control the country’s south. The European Union's show of support for Ukraine underscores that the war is in a pivotal phase, with Ukrainian forces massing for a counteroffensive that could set the terms for any future negotiation with Russia.