ZELENSKY: ‘WE NEED HELP NOW’: Desperate for ammunition for his battle-weary troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reached out yesterday to the one man with the power to throw him a lifeline, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who, bowing to the wishes of out-of-office former President Donald Trump, has blocked a vote on a $60 billion aid measure that enjoys wide bipartisan support.
“We recognize that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor,” Zelensky said, being careful to preface his message with profuse thanks to Johnson, both Democrats and Republicans, the American people, and President Joe Biden for their critical support of Ukraine.
“It is better than it used to be two or three months ago when we had a big deficit of artillery ammunition, different kinds of weapons,” he said. “We totally didn’t see the big, huge counteroffensive from Russia. … They didn’t have success.”
When D’Agata asked if Ukraine would lose without American support, Zelensky replied, “It’s true,” but he said worse than losing territory would be to lose the people who live on that territory who would lose their freedom under Russian rule. “People, honestly speaking,” are more important.
ZELENSKY BRIEFS SPEAKER JOHNSON AS CONGRESS STRUGGLES TO FIND PATH FORWARD ON UKRAINE AID
ISW: RUSSIA LIKELY TO EXPLOIT UKRAINIAN AMMUNITION SHORTAGE: “Ukraine is currently preventing Russian forces from making significant tactical gains along the entire frontline,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said last night in its latest battlefield assessment. “But continued delays in US security assistance will likely expand the threat of Russian operational success, including in non-linear and possibly exponential ways.”
Russian forces will likely continue to maintain the tempo of their offensive operations through spring 2024 regardless of difficult weather and terrain conditions in order to exploit Ukrainian materiel shortages,” the ISW said, warning that “pervasive shortages” are increasing the risk of a Russian breakthrough in “less-well-provisioned” sections of front lines and making the entire front line “more fragile.”
Zelensky told CBS he suspects Russia is gearing up for another big push around the end of May or in June. “We not only need to prepare, we not only need to stabilize the situation, because the partners are sometimes really happy that we have stabilized the situation,” Zelensky said “I say we need help now.”
JOHNSON’S POLITICAL DILEMMA: For Johnson to come to Ukraine’s rescue, Democrats may have to come to his rescue. The House speaker has expressed support for Ukraine, even as he has blocked the vote that would start the aid flowing again.
“We’ll turn our attention to it, and we won’t delay on that,” Johnson said when the House left for a two-week spring break recess. But Johnson suggested he would prefer the House craft its own version of an aid bill rather than simply pass the $95 billion Senate supplemental, which has money for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. He’s also raised the possibility of splitting the funding for Ukraine and Israel into separate votes in order to appease factions of members who support one but not the other.
Johnson also has a legislative sword of Damocles hanging over him in the form of a motion to vacate the chair that Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is using to threaten his speakership. “He should not bring funding for Ukraine,” Greene told reporters after she filed the motion.
All of the options have drawbacks. Suspending the rules to allow a vote on the Senate measure would require a two-thirds majority, 290 of the current 431 members. Even passing a House bill with a simple majority of 216 would require Democratic support, along with Democratic votes to save his speakership.
- “Let’s be honest: The money which is allocated by the Congress by the administration, in the majority of cases, 80% of this money — well, at least more than 75% — stays in the U.S.,” Zelensky said.
- “This ammunition is coming to us, but the production is taking place there and the money stays in the U.S. and the taxes are staying in the U.S.”
JOHNSON PROMISED DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT IN OUSTER FIGHT IF HE PUTS UKRAINE LOAN ON FLOOR
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DID PUTIN JUST THREATEN WAR WITH NATO? During a visit to a training base for Russian pilots this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the arrival of Ukrainian F-16s as inconsequential but at the same time seemed to suggest Russia would consider attacking any planes based in nearby NATO countries.
“This will not change the situation on the battlefield. We will destroy their aircraft just like we are now destroying their tanks, armored vehicles, and other equipment, including multiple launch rocket systems,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript. “Of course, we would see them as legitimate targets if they operate from the airfields of third countries.”
“F-16 aircraft can also carry nuclear weapons, and we will also have to heed this while organizing our combat operations,” Putin said. But when asked about Russian defense spending, Putin suggested war with NATO and the U.S. would be futile, noting the Pentagon’s budget is 10 times what Russia spends.
“The United States’s defense spending amounts to about 40% of the global figure, or more precisely, 39%, while Russia accounts for 3.5%,” Putin said. “Considering this difference, are we planning to fight NATO? This is nonsense.”
RUSSIANS: ‘PRETTY GOOD MANURE SALESMEN’: In a teleconference with reporters yesterday, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby had some choice words in response to Putin’s allegation that the U.S. and Ukraine played some part in the terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed 143 people last week and wounded 80 others.
“I want to just take a moment to respond to the bull,” Kirby said, before stopping himself and substituting another eight-letter word, “the nonsense and the propaganda that we’ve been seeing coming from the Kremlin.”
“It’s abundantly clear that ISIS was solely responsible for the horrific terrorist attack in Moscow last week,” Kirby said. “In fact, the United States tried to help prevent this terrorist attack, and the Kremlin knows this. In advance of the March 22 attack, the United States government provided clear, detailed information to Russian authorities regarding the terrorist threat against large gatherings and concerts in Moscow.
“It reminds me of something my uncle used to say. He had a small farm and raised a few cattle in a place near Ocala, Florida. He used to say that the best manure salesmen often carried their samples in their mouths. Russian officials seem to be pretty good manure salesmen.”
RUSSIA PAYING EUROPEAN UNION POLITICIANS FOR INFLUENCE
BROWN STEPS IN IT: Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. sparked a minor controversy when he told reporters at a Defense Writers Group event yesterday that the U.S. hasn’t given Israel every weapon it has asked for in its battle against Hamas in Gaza.
“Although we’ve been supporting them with capability, they’ve not received everything they’ve asked for,” Brown said. “Some of that is because they’ve asked for stuff that we either don’t have the capacity to provide or not willing to provide, not right now.”
The offhand comment got lots of play, especially in the Israel press, coming as it did after the U.S. declined to veto a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza without condemning Hamas.
The kerfuffle prompted a spokesman for the chairman to issue what’s known as a “what the general meant to say” statement.
“Gen. Brown’s comments earlier today regarding providing military capability to Israel were solely in reference to a standard practice before providing military aid to any of our allies and partners. We assess U.S. stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid,” said Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey, a spokesman for Brown. “There is no change in U.S. policy. The United States continues to provide security assistance to our ally Israel as they defend themselves from Hamas.”
US EXPECTS ISRAEL TO HOLD OFF ON RAFAH UNTIL AFTER RESCHEDULED MEETING
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Zelensky briefs Speaker Johnson
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Ukrainian army chief admits dire situation for Kiev’s forces at frontline
Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with the American CBS broadcaster that Ukrainian troops had almost no artillery left
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"The situation on the front is, indeed, tense. No doubt, every day requires maximum force exertion from our soldiers and officers," the Ukrinform news agency quoted Syrsky as saying.
- He further said that Ukrainian troops had almost no artillery left.
- In turn, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian president’s office Mikhail Podolyak said that Ukraine’s army was stagnating at the frontline.
- Earlier, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrsky called the situation tense along the entire engagement line and said that Russian troops could probably advance in some frontline areas.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on March 20 that the Ukrainian military had lost 71,000 troops and 11,000 weapons systems since the beginning of the year or almost three times more than in the same period of 2023.
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY
Official website
We are doing everything to provide our warriors with more opportunities, more weapons; and we will ensure this – address by the President of Ukraine
28 March 2024 - 20:49
Ukraine is grateful for the support of the United States and every American who shares our belief that freedom must never lose. And it is very important that the Congress maintains its leadership so that the defense of freedom remains a unifying idea both within countries and for the global majority.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a delegation of the European Parliament's Renew Europe political group
28 March 2024 - 18:53
During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the issue of expediting military assistance to Ukraine from European capitals.
President discussed the necessity of passing a decision on the assistance to Ukraine with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
28 March 2024 - 18:33
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson.
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