Ukraine's defense minister says delays in promised Western military aid is costing lives
Ukraine's defense minister says half of promised Western military support fails to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Half of promised Western military support to Ukraine fails to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers, the country's defense minister said Sunday.
Speaking at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv, Rustan Umerov said that each delayed aid shipment meant Ukrainian troop losses, and underscored Russia’s superior military might.
Commemorations to mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Saturday brought expressions of continued support, new bilateral security agreements and fresh aid commitments from Ukraine’s Western allies. But Umerov said they still needed to deliver on their commitments if Ukraine is to have any chance of holding out against Russia.
“We look to the enemy: their economy is almost 2 trillion dollars, they use up to 15% official and non-official budget (funds) for the war, which constitutes over $100 billion dollars annually. So basically whenever a commitment doesn’t come on time, we lose people, we lose territory,” he said.
