The decision by the administration of United States President Donald Trump to suspend military aid to Ukraine earlier this year undermined the country's combat capability and its negotiating position with Russia. This information comes from a recently released assessment by the US European Command, writes UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
An eight-day halt in March "had a tangible impact" on the conflict, as well as "significant residual effects on the provision of security assistance," including detonators for some types of precision weapons and 155mm ammunition, according to a report prepared by acting Pentagon Inspector General Steve Stebbins.
The pause hindered the cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty
The Inspector General's report draws on the European Command's assessment and is the first public acknowledgment by the US military of the impact of the Trump administration's pause from March 3 to 11. It was released this week, just before President Donald Trump's meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage.
The quarterly report, covering the period from April 1 to June 30, is a summary of previously disclosed information and new assessments from military agencies, including EUCOM and the Defense Intelligence Agency. It provides an overview of US military and civilian assistance to Ukraine under Operation Atlantic Resolve, an operation launched in 2014 to deter Russian aggression.
The Defense Intelligence Agency informed the Inspector General that "Ukrainian air defense assets and F-16 fighters remain insufficient to protect against powerful Russian missile and drone attacks, which have further damaged military and civilian infrastructure."
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Congress has allocated or otherwise provided $187 billion in military and non-lethal support to Ukraine. As of June 30, $30 billion remained available for spending, the report said.
The report offers a grim picture of Ukraine's prospects without further aid from the US and allies. It states that as of June 30, Ukraine had exhausted almost all of its Soviet and Russian artillery and missile ammunition, making it "almost entirely dependent on Western aid."
The Inspector General's report also reveals a new DIA assessment of the damage from Ukraine's June drone attack on four Russian bomber bases.
Ukraine reported launching 117 small, commercially available UAVs, armed with explosives, from trucks pre-positioned outside Russian bases, and that the operation damaged over 40 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers and early warning and control aircraft.
Nevertheless, the DIA, in a previously undisclosed assessment, informed the Inspector General that although "at least 10 Russian strategic bombers were destroyed, these losses will only minimally degrade Russia's ability to continue cruise missile strikes on Ukrainian targets."
Addition
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump began a meeting at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska. The dictator got into the US president's limousine for a one-on-one conversation.
US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska. A stage with the inscription "ALASKA 2025" and a red carpet in the shape of the letter G were prepared for the leaders.