Smart Take | Congress Sends Russia a Message by Passing US Aid Package for Ukraine

Video Transcript

• Congress Sends Russia a Message by Passing US Aid Package for Ukraine

  This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

  The passage of the supplemental aid sends a direct message to the Russian Federation. It says that the United States is now more united than ever in support of Ukraine, and will provide the necessary aid to keep Ukraine in on the battlefield and in this conflict. 

  Russia has essentially wasted the six months of US nonmilitary aid to Ukraine and hasn't achieved any major military advances. They've taken some small Ukrainian cities and villages. But there is a problem with  with Russian energy. It has been depleted in terms of its exports and essentially the Black Sea fleet is at the bottom of the Black Sea. This aid is crucial to Ukraine, but I don't think that we should demand immediate military results. Ukraine has struggled to defend its line, to defend its defenses.  I don't think that, as previously, we should not expect Ukraine to go on the offensive Ukraine will use this aid to help advance its military protections for Ukraine, to have new artillery and Patriot missiles to defend Ukraine. So this will be an important element of Ukraine's military strategy going forward. 

  The reaction from Russia has simply been what Russia has been saying for months, that we are on the verge of a major military attack agrom the United States, and that there is a possibility that Russia will have to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian sovereignty. Lavrov, the foreign minister, has been saying this for months, but we will just have to wait and see what definitive measures Russia takes in reaction to the passage of this aid.