Without More Aid, Ukraine Could Lose the War, U.S. General Says

The United States gives Ukraine’s military most of two critical munitions that are in shortest supply: artillery shells and air-defense interceptors.

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A Ukrainian soldier with an American-made M777 howitzer last month. Frontline forces in Ukraine are rationing their artillery shells because they do not have a reliable Western supplier, a U.S. general said.

The top American military commander in Europe warned on Wednesday that Ukraine could lose the war with Russia if the United States did not send more ammunition to Ukrainian forces, and fast.

“The situation is extremely serious,” Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the head of the Pentagon’s European Command, told the House Armed Services Committee.

General Cavoli, who is also NATO’s top military commander, said Ukraine’s allies had provided much of the equipment and arms that Kyiv needed to combat the larger Russian military, including all donated fuel and 90 percent of its tanks. But the United States gives Ukraine most of the two critical munitions that are in shortest supply: artillery shells and air-defense interceptors.

“If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and will run out of air defense interceptors in fairly short order,” General Cavoli said. “Based on my experience in 37-plus years in the U.S. military, if one side can shoot and the other side can’t shoot back, the side that can’t shoot back loses.”

General Cavoli, a Russia specialist in the U.S. Army, rarely speaks in public. His comments during his annual appearance before Congress to present his command’s budget request and priorities were a sobering assessment of the impact of the U.S. delay in sending Ukraine a $60 billion aid package that congressional Republicans have stalled for six months.

ImageGen. Christopher G. Cavoli at NATO headquarters in January. On Wednesday, he pleaded with lawmakers to approve an infusion of aid to Ukraine.Credit…Virginia Mayo/Associated Press

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