Ukraine must win this war - Angus Robertson

It is hugely welcome news that the US House of Representatives has approved a $61 billion package of support for Ukraine.

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press after the House passed a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan and also voted to ban TikTok at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2024. Representatives quickly passed legislation to provide to Ukraine and Israel, bolster Taiwan while also threatening a ban on TikTok if it fails to divest from Beijing. The bills, passed in a rare Saturday session, were approved by overwhelming bipartisan votes, though they leave the future of Speaker Johnson in doubt as he seeks to fend off angry far-right detractors. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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.

However, 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.