Washington Post: US raises pressure on Kyiv to make significant gains on battlefield

As the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears, US officials are telling Ukrainian leaders they face a critical moment to change the trajectory of the war, raising the pressure on Kyiv to make significant gains on the battlefield while weapons and aid from the United States and its allies are surging, reported from the Washington Post. 

Despite promises to back Ukraine "as long as it takes," Biden officials say recent aid packages from Congress and America's allies represent Kyiv's best chance to decisively change the course of the war. Many conservatives in the Republican-led House have vowed to pull back support, and Europe's long-term appetite for funding the war effort remains unclear.

Several officials noted the strong bipartisan support that has accompanied every Ukraine package, adding that Congress gave the White House more than it asked for, but they acknowledged that was under a Democrat-led House and Senate.

"We will continue to try to impress upon them that we can't do anything and everything forever," said one senior administration official, referring to Ukraine's leaders. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters, added that it was the administration's "very strong view" that it will be hard to keep getting the same level of security and economic assistance from Congress.

"'As long as it takes' pertains to the amount of conflict," the official added. "It doesn't pertain to the amount of assistance."

"Ukraine has expended significant resources and troops defending Bakhmut in the eastern Donbas region. Zelenskyy, however, attaches symbolic importance to Bakhmut and believes it would be a blow to Ukrainian morale to lose the city," two senior administration officials said. 

Against that backdrop, Biden's aides say they are pursuing the best course of action: empowering Ukraine to retake as much territory as possible in the coming months before sitting down with Putin at the negotiating table.





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