Former British army officer Richard Kemp has cautioned that Western aid may not be sufficient for Ukraine to regain territory from Russia. Kemp, who served from 1977 to 2006, believes the munitions provided by the US and UK will help Kyiv stabilize the front lines but will not enable them to retake land seized by Moscow. He warns that if Russia achieves significant success by summer, there will be reduced appetite for Western spending on Ukraine by winter. Kemp emphasizes that while the new aid packages may help blunt Russia’s advances, they will not allow Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back on the offensive.
On Wednesday, the US Senate approved a £76bn foreign aid package that included military support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Of this, £49bn is earmarked for military aid to Ukraine, which the Pentagon says can be delivered within days. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law on Wednesday. The UK has also pledged £500m in new military supplies for Ukraine, including long-range missiles and four million rounds of ammunition.
