This comes on top of reports that Ukraine is demanding another $400 Billion Dollars, 100’s more tanks, and 12 MILLION new artillery shells.
Report: Defense Secretary Warned Congress U.S. Troops Could Be Deployed If Ukraine Aid Is Not Sent
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Congress on Tuesday during a private briefing that if they do not pass more aid to Ukraine, it would “very likely” lead to U.S. troops fighting a war in Europe.
“If [Vladimir] Putin takes over Ukraine, he’ll get Moldova, Georgia, then maybe the Baltics,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) told The Messenger, after Austin and other senior Biden administration officials briefed House lawmakers on their request for more aid for Ukraine.
“And then the idea that we’ll have to put troops on the ground in Secretary Austin’s word was very likely,” McCaul added. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
The Messenger reported that the warning “did little” to win over Republican skeptics, who oppose more aid to Ukraine without more accountability and transparency on how it will help Ukraine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told the outlet, “I don’t think we got the clarity that we’ve been requesting,” and that “It remains to be seen whether members are satisfied with the answers provided.”
The Biden administration has requested a $106 billion aid package from Congress, with the bulk of it — $61 billion — going to Ukraine. That would be an addition to the $113 billion that has been allocated to support Ukraine in its war with Russia since February 2022.
From a senior US military intel officer who writes a daily analysis of the Ukraine war:
“Reading between the lines, I think Gen. Zaluzhnyi was saying “we don’t have enough training, we are not the professional force that would be needed to win this fight,” and to win the fight he described the force that would be needed – and described a professional military (army, air force, cyber force, etc,) with all the necessary equipment and weapons. And that will cost another $350 – 400 billion. More importantly, it will cost time and personnel. Because what they need is enough troops, trained up to high standards, equipped with the right gear. And training takes time. Said differently, Ukraine has neither the time, the manpower nor the money to make the army necessary to win the war as the politicians want, and they aren’t likely to get it.“It will take at least a year, and perhaps more, to raise and train the army Zaluzhnyi described. In the meantime they would keep taking casualties and the infrastructure will keep getting chewed up. And beyond the costs, and the loss of hardware, a look at the demographics would say that the Ukrainian population will have a very difficult time supporting this level of carnage for several more years.
Which would, I guess, lead Zaluzhnyi to suggest that they need a whole new strategy, and perhaps new war aims. And there seems to be little appetite in Kiev for new war aims. Rather, Kiev seems to have painted themselves into a corner in regard to war aims.”
From a senior US military intel officer who writes a daily analysis of the Ukraine war:
"Reading between the lines, I think Gen. Zaluzhnyi was saying “we don't have enough training, we are not the professional force that would be needed to win this fight," and to win the fight he…— David P. Goldman (@davidpgoldman) December 5, 2023
h/t Flying Elvii