US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday issued a dire warning about the need to provide more aid to Ukraine and vowed not to “abandon” the European ally.
Speaking after returning from a trip to the war-torn country, Schumer said this year is a “pivotal moment in world history,” adding that a Ukraine loss to Russia would also have “devastating consequences for the United States.”
“This is a turning point, a turning point in America's ability to project itself — our strengths, our powers, our capabilities — into the world,” he said. “When we went there, we told the Ukrainian people: America will not abandon you.”
Key areas of need: The Senate leader addressed some key areas where Ukraine needed more supplies, detailing that they need more artillery shells, more weapons to disrupt Russian supply networks, and more anti-aircraft weaponry.
Schumer provided some examples of the ways Ukraine is struggling to wage its war, including the fact that he met a Ukrainian drone operator who was able to identify Russian artillery, but no longer had the ammunition to destroy it.
Schumer also said that Russian forces could fire their artillery for much longer than Ukrainian artillery could respond.
“The Russians can stay further behind and attack the Ukrainians, and the Ukrainians can't hit them back,” he said.
Remember: US House Speaker Mike Johnson is under increasing pressure to put Ukraine aid to a vote, after Schumer and the Senate approved a package that would provide more than $60 billion in assistance . He has so far resisted calls to do so, however, at the risk of a likely revolt by members of his own party.
