‘Now We Have a Chance to Overtake the Initiative’

After the U.S. House of Representatives approved the national security bill providing for the allocation of military assistance to Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine now have a chance to “stabilise the situation and to overtake the initiative,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday, April 21.

“Now we have the chance to stabilize the situation and to overtake the initiative, and that’s why we need to actually have the weapons systems,” Ukraine’s President said.

He added that the situation on the frontlines now depends on when Ukraine finally receives the assistance. He mentioned that over the past six months, given a pause in the process, the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment.

“It depends on when we actually get weapons on the ground. As you said it, Kristen, if we get it in half a year — well, we’ve had the process stalled for half a year and we’ve had losses in several directions. Losses in men, in equipment.”

He cautioned that if this delay continues for another six months, the situation will deteriorate further.

“I think this support will really strengthen the armed forces, I pray, and we will have a chance at victory if Ukraine really gets the weapons system, which we need so much, which thousands of soldiers need so much.”

On April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a national security bill that had been stuck in Congress since last fall.

This bill includes providing about $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine, along with assistance to Israel and Taiwan. The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, stated that the House bills are expected to pass the Senate this week, namely on Tuesday, April 23.

“We really need to get this to the final point. We need to get approved by the Senate,” Zelensky said Sunday.

According to The Washington Post, which cites unnamed officials, it will take less than a week for some of the weapons destined for Ukraine to reach the battlefield after approval by the U.S. Senate and signing by Joe Biden. The Pentagon has significant military assistance for Ukraine, “ready for use,” according to sources quoted by The Washington Post.