“The next few months are going to be critical for Ukraine,” US National Security spokesperson John Kirby said at the White House press briefing on 22 January. “If you think the fighting’s going to stop because the snow has fallen, think again. Russians continue to fire drones and missiles at Ukraine.”
According to Kirby, Ukrainian commanders struggle to choose which weapons they will spend due to the uncertainty about the next military aid shipment. Meanwhile, “the Russians are certainly not suffering under the same uncertainty,” reaching out to North Korea and Iran for ballistic missiles and drones, as well as producing their own weapons.
Previously, Biden’s national security aides assessed that “Russia could win the war within weeks or months if Congress doesn’t act,” as NBC News reported. The White House cannot announce further military aid packages for Ukraine due to Congress’s failure to approve supplementary funding at the end of 2023. The most recent package of $250 million was announced on 27 December 2023. On 3 January, Kirby said that it was “the last security assistance package that we have funds to support.”
At the 22 January briefing, Kirby said the White House wants Ukraine’s borders “internationally established and recognized by everyone, including Mr. Putin.” He expressed the desire to continue supporting Ukraine to achieve its goals.
“It’s transparent and clear: we want Ukraine to win this war,” he said.
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