Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed frustration over Western allies’ slow and insufficient military aid, which is not enough to equip even four out of 14 brigades. In an interview with CNN, Zelensky highlighted the struggles of Ukraine’s army units against Russian attacks due to being under-equipped. He emphasized the need for at least 14 fully-equipped brigades to be ready, but recent aid packages fell short of that goal.
Zelensky mentioned that an eight-month hiatus in US military aid had depleted Ukraine’s weapons reserves, referring to a $61-billion aid bill stalled in the US Congress until April 2024. The President explained that Ukrainian Defense Forces had exhausted their resources in defending themselves from Russian assaults by using everything in their stockpiles and reserve brigades.
Despite the ongoing incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, reports indicate that Moscow is preparing a counter-offensive. Zelensky stressed the importance of equipping all brigades to make Ukraine strong and urged Western nations to support Ukraine in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.