Ukraine must win this war - Angus Robertson
The funds are needed. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute outlined that Russia’s military spending increased by 24 per cent to an estimated $109bn in 2023, marking a 57 per cent rise since 2014, the year that Russia annexed Crimea.
Not including international aid Ukraine’s spending surged to reach $64.8bn. Ukraine’s military spending in 2023 was 59 per cent the size of Russia’s. Therefore, this new package from the US, along with aid from allies across Europe and the world, will play a key role in counterbalancing Russia’s outspending of Ukraine.
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Hide AdHowever, approving this funding has been no plain sailing. Led by the notorious Marjorie Taylor Greene, worryingly large pockets of the Republican party are opposed to aiding Ukraine on the grounds that it will collapse, or that peace should be secured via surrendering land to Russia.
As Ukrainian journalist and author Illia Ponomarenko said, people like these who oppose aiding Ukraine were “absolutely wrong about the Ukrainian morale and popular support of national independence and sovereignty” and “absolutely wrong about Ukraine still being in control of over 80 per cent of its territory after over two years of a full-scale war with Russia, one of the largest military powers in history”.
Ukraine’s allies across the world must build on this renewal of support from the United States and continue to arm Ukraine. There is no question – Ukraine must win this war.