Top US General: Ukraine Has What It Needs to Launch Spring Offensive

Ukraine Receives Military Support from Allies

Ukraine has received a significant amount of military support from its Western allies, including over 230 battle tanks and 1,550 combat vehicles. This support has given Ukraine the equipment and munitions it needs to launch its spring offensive against Russia, according to General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of United States forces in Europe.

General Cavoli stated that over 98% of the combat vehicles are already in Ukraine, and he is confident that they have delivered the necessary matériel. The 54-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been “very generous” in responding to Kyiv’s calls for assistance in fighting off Russia’s invasion, he said, “especially with regard to tanks and armored fighting vehicles. And we have been shipping it into the country. The Ukrainians are in a good position.”

Providing Ukraine with the Capabilities it Needs

House Armed Forces Committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) questioned whether the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with everything it needs to defeat Russia decisively to avoid a lengthy, costly stalemate. Rogers said the administration should reconsider its reluctance to provide Ukraine with F-16s and cluster artillery munitions.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander stated that fighter aircraft ranked “about eighth” among Ukraine’s military needs. She said Poland and Slovakia have provided MiG-29s, “legacy Soviet aircraft” Ukrainians are familiar with. “They know how to use them; they know how to maintain them,” she said.

The “highest priority capabilities” requested by Ukraine are in “air defense, artillery, and armor,” Wallander said.

Rogers said the United States has a stockpile of 3 million cluster bombs that can be fired from the 155 Howitzers provided to Ukraine and questioned why the Biden administration will not send any there.

“Russia is using these munitions right now against the Ukrainians,” he said to Cavoli. “Can you please explain the battlefield military utility that giving Ukraine the [cluster  munitions] that we have would have in particular in places like Bakhmut?”

Cavoli explained the cluster bombs are banned by 123 nations and how they work as “dual purpose” munitions against “mixed targets of personnel and equipment, especially when those targets are gathered into dense formations.”

Some Allies Are Better Than Others

It is clear that some allies are better than others when it comes to supporting Ukraine. While Poland and Slovakia have provided Ukraine with MiG-29s, other allies have been more generous in providing tanks and armored fighting vehicles. However, the support from Western allies has given Ukraine the equipment and munitions it needs to launch its spring offensive against Russia.