BY STEPHEN NEUKAM – 02/19/23 9:41 AM ET
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday the U.S. would support Ukraine in its war against Russia for “as long as it takes,” as the Biden administration faces calls from Republican lawmakers to provide a timeline for the end of American support to Kyiv.
“We don’t know, we would like to see it end now,” Kirby said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “As [President Biden] has said … we’re going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and he means that. As long as it takes.”
Kirby’s comments come as some Republican lawmakers have pressured the Biden administration to provide Congress with a timeline on when it plans to cease its support of Ukraine.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has led a charge recently for the Biden administration to provide more transparency on U.S. spending on Ukraine, arguing last week that the president must provide a plan for ending the conflict.
“Before President Biden spends another taxpayer dollar in Ukraine, he must lay out a clear plan for ending the conflict in a way that advances our national security interests,” Vance said in a statement. “No more blank checks. It is past time for the President to tell the American people how this comes to an end.”Ohio senator: East Palestine residents ‘right to be skeptical’ after train derailmentTop GOP lawmaker urges US to send fighter jets, missiles to Ukraine
Kirby on Sunday pushed back against the idea that the U.S. had provided Ukraine with a “blank check.”
“First of all, there’s been no blank checks,” Kirby said just before the war’s one-year anniversary, which will be marked on Friday. “Every single item that we have sent into Ukraine has been done in full consultation with the Congress and we have really enjoyed terrific bipartisan support … we fully expect that that will continue.”
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. has sent more than $113 billion in support to Kyiv
Neukam Steve!
“Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. has sent more than $113 billion in support to Kyiv.”
Where did he get that figure? Not even the promised $43bn was spent.
“Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine less than one year ago, Congress has approved more than $113 billion of aid and military assistance to support the Ukrainian government and allied nations.” ~ so it included support to allied nations in their support of Ukraine.
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/congress-approved-113-billion-aid-ukraine-2022
Here we go again. “There is no timeline for end of US support for Ukraine” is not a well-thought-out plan and a vague concept for most voters. This is only a poor strategy of spraying just enough water on a fire to keep it from spreading, but not to put it out. The Biden administration is not capable of illuminating to the public what it’s final goals are and how to achieve them. This is not good.
I suppose when you got married that your spouse’s demanded to know how many years it lasted and you told her the exact number.
For many of us though, a promise of commitment is better as the date of end can’t be known.
I get you don’t like Biden but I find this criticism ridiculous. Especially since you criticize him for setting a date and getting out of Afghanistan.
I absolutely agree.
There is no way of planning this.
Even if you give Ukraine theoretically enough weapons to reach Moscow you cannot guarantee that Ukraine will be able or be willing to do so.
However, the support is not random: they are always working towards a goal: for example before the Kharkiv offensive the aid was tailor-made for exactly this offensive.
But of course they aren’t going to tell: they can say that the MBTs have to be there before 1 april for the Zaporizia offensive for example, but I think the Russians will be very happy with this information.
I won’t comment for Sir OFP however, Biden’s approach of just giving us enough weapons to keep the war going rather then giving us the weapons needed for VICTORY is not a plan. This nonsense of escalation is ridiculous give what the Moskali are doing. A PLAN would be here’s what you need to WIN!!! So as much as I appreciate what the US is providing we need a PLAN to WIN…
If Biden’s administration grew some balls and really provide us advanced weapons nt only would that be a plan but it would send a message to the Moskali horde.
I am all in favour of giving Ukraine more aid, but making a plan to win is really hard.
I would say: give them all they can absorb and plan for counteroffensives (like they do now).
It is easy to say a 1000 Abrams, a billion F-35’s, but it takes a lot more than equipment to win a war.
I think you simply cannot calculate what is needed to win as there are too many variables such as logistics, training, morale, and of course what the enemy does.
Afghanistan was a complete disaster. And I wouldn’t criticize the guy if he would do his job right. It’s that simple.
It’s bad enough the promissory commitments being slow, but the real drag is logistics and training.
Getting allies to point of even saying they will provide something has been ridiculous. However keeping a coalition of 54 countries together is no picnic. Then once it is decided, have to locate whom can from where. After that putting it in motion to get into Ukraine and where it is needed. All the while making sure AFU knows how to use the stuff and getting them with that equipment when it arrives. As General Omar Bradley famously said: “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”