(Moscow) The Kremlin assured Thursday that United States aid to Ukraine, blocked in Congress for several months and on which American elected officials must vote on Saturday, “will not be able to change anything” in the situation on the front. , where the Russian army is on the offensive.
Ukraine tirelessly asks its Western allies for more munitions and anti-aircraft defense systems, while Russian forces still shell its cities and energy infrastructure on a daily basis.
However, the American House of Representatives must vote on Saturday on a text providing nearly 61 billion dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine, which could allow its army to catch its breath.
“This cannot in any way influence the development of the situation on the fronts,” said the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov.
“This cannot change anything,” he insisted to the press, affirming that “all the experts now indicate that the situation on the front is unfavorable for the Ukrainian side.”
Vote with uncertain outcome
It is a time for optimism in Moscow, several months after the failure of Kyiv’s counter-offensive in the summer of 2023 and as the Russian army is gradually gaining ground, particularly in the Donbass, a priority target for the Kremlin. .
For its part, exhausted by two years of fighting, Ukraine is struggling against the Russian army, which is superior in number of soldiers and quantity of weapons and ammunition.
Ukrainian forces notably lack air defense systems to counter daily Russian attacks with explosive drones and missiles, like the triple strike on Wednesday in Cherniguiv, which left 18 dead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deplores the lack of aid from the West almost every day, after more than two years of high-intensity conflict.
In mid-March, the Ukrainian head of state deemed “critically important” a rapid decision by the American Congress on the release of aid to his country, which was simultaneously facing difficulties in enlisting volunteers in the army.
“We needed this money yesterday, not tomorrow, not today,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal in an interview with the BBC.
This financial aid has already been approved by the Senate with a Democratic majority, but remains blocked in Congress, with Republican representatives, supporting Donald Trump, turning a deaf ear six months before the presidential election.
American President Joe Biden, who is pushing for the adoption of this text, said again on Wednesday that he was “very favorable” to this envelope, referring in the columns of the Wall Street Journal to “a pivotal moment”.
The outcome of the vote nonetheless remains uncertain at this stage.
Electricity restrictions
However, on the ground, the dynamic is not to the advantage of Ukraine, almost 20% of whose territory remains occupied by Russia.
Two people were killed Thursday in new Russian bombings, according to local authorities.
And Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure remain very frequent despite the Ukrainian army’s attempts to protect these sites.
Faced with this situation, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy on Thursday called on the population and businesses to limit their electricity consumption in the evening “during peak hours” (from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.), relaying the request of the private electricity operator DTEK.
The ministry notably justified this decision by “the increase in the load on the electricity network which results” from these repeated Russian strikes.
In retaliation, Ukraine regularly targets refineries or military sites on Russian soil with the aim of disrupting the logistical supply chain to the troops engaged on the front.
On Thursday, Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) claimed responsibility for a “successful” strike the day before on a Russian military airfield in annexed Crimea, “destroying or seriously damaging” S-400 system launchers, radar equipment and a security control center. anti-aircraft defense.
reference: www.lapresse.ca