Zelensky: Delay in Foreign Aid Has Made the Situation on the Frontline 'Very Difficult'

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, says that delays in the delivery of weapons by Western countries are preparing the ground for Russian advances on the battlefield, making the fighting in parts of the frontline 'very difficult.' This comes as U.S. aid to Ukraine worth $60 billion has been halted due to political disagreements in Congress. The U.S. Senate, led by Democrats, passed a bill on February 13 to aid Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, while there are doubts about its fate in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. However, more aid for Ukraine is on the way. Sweden, on the verge of joining the NATO alliance, announced its largest aid package to date on February 20, stating that military assistance worth $681 million will be sent to Ukraine. Canada also announced it would expedite the delivery of over 800 drones to Ukraine. In his daily video address, Zelensky stated that Russia has deployed its forces across a 1,500-kilometer frontline. He mentioned that the Russians are taking advantage of the delays in aid to Ukraine and emphasized that Ukrainian forces are severely lacking in artillery, air defense systems, and long-range weapons. After four months of resistance against a powerful Russian offensive, Ukrainian forces were forced to retreat from the strategic city of Avdiivka in the east of the country last weekend due to ammunition shortages. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated that while the situation on the battlefield has become difficult, it is not 'catastrophic' in the eastern front. He claimed that Russia has suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment while trying to capture the city of Avdiivka. The British Ministry of Defense, in its latest assessment, stated that Kremlin forces need time for 'rest and recovery.' The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also expects Russia to have an 'operational pause' in this area. Zelensky mentioned that negotiations with his foreign partners on how to 'resume and expand' aid are ongoing. The Ukrainian Ministry of Finance announced on February 20 that last year it received $42.5 billion from foreign partners, of which $11.6 billion was in the form of 'grants,' with the U.S. contributing the largest share of $11 billion. In another development, a Russian 'Lancet' drone attacked a house in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine on February 20, killing five family members. Ukraine claims to have shot down all 23 'Shahed' drones that Russia launched in various regions on the night of February 19. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials, that one of Iran's most significant weapon exports, the 'Shahed' suicide drone, was used to kill three American soldiers in Jordan during an attack by an Iraqi militia group on January 28. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, in its report released this month, stated that models from the same family of drones that killed American soldiers in Jordan have been used on many fronts, including by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iraqi militias targeting Israel, and by Russia in the war against Ukraine. The European Union has called for new sanctions against Russia due to the death of Navalny. Joe Biden announced the consideration of new sanctions against Russia due to the suspicious death of Alexei Navalny. The fall of the city of Avdiivka; Ukraine: We retreated to save soldiers' lives. Biden and Zelensky discussed the Ukrainian army's retreat from Avdiivka; the U.S. is committed to supporting Ukraine.