Europe must increase its military spending quickly

European leaders must follow the example of Congress in Washington and do more for Ukraine

- Olga Tokariuk

The new $61bn (£49bn) US aid package for Ukraine approved by Congress will undoubtedly improve the country’s battlefield position. Stocks of ammunition from US bases in Poland and Germany can now be shipped quickly to existing Ukrainian forces and allow newly mobilised troops to be equipped.

Critics of Ukraine’s mobilisation law, recently passed by the parliament in Kyiv, argued it made little sense to draft more men if there were no weapons to arm them: now that concern can be discarded.

The US package includes weapons Ukraine has long sought after and which can make a significant difference in the war, like long-range ATACMS missiles. These will improve Volodymyr Zelensky’s capability to threaten and destroy Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, forcing Russia to withdraw its equipment, enhancing Black Sea security.

The US vote also provides an important boost to morale, restoring hope that Western partners are delivering on their promises and sending a powerful signal to Russia.

Ukrainian soldiers have sent messages from the trenches, thanking the American people while MPs displayed American flags in Ukraine’s parliament.

Impact on the battlefield

In the short term, however, the battlefield situation will remain difficult. Ukraine’s defence intelligence chief has already warned that Russia might attempt a new offensive in May, while Russian forces have already captured around 360 square kilometres of territory this year, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

Now the Russian military is pushing to seize the town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, hoping to take it before Moscow’s Victory Day parade on 9 May.