WASHINGTON — Ukraine and Israel both desperately need the military weapons that are being held up by Congress' failure to pass a funding package for the two countries at war, Pentagon leaders told House appropriators Wednesday, calling the situation in Ukraine dire.
“Whether it's munitions, whether it's vehicles, whether it's platforms,” Ukraine is being outmatched by the Russians, Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “I'll just tell you that Ukraine right now is facing some dire battlefield conditions.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, seated alongside Brown, told lawmakers that time matters.
“We're already seeing things on the battlefield begin to shift a bit in Russia's favor. We are seeing them make incremental gains. We're seeing the Ukrainians be challenged in terms of holding the line,” he said.
Their grim assessments came as House Republicans wrangle over the $95 billion foreign aid bill that the Senate passed in February. That legislation provides funding for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, as well as humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and Ukraine and replenishment cash for the U.S. military to replace weapons sent to Ukraine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was forging ahead Wednesday toward votes later this week on the funding, even as he risks losing his leadership post in the bitterly divided Republican caucus.
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