Ukraine retreats from villages as it waits for US aid to arrive

[KARAH RUCKER]

OVER THE WEEKEND –

UKRAINIAN TROOPS WERE ON THE RETREAT AS RUSSIAN FORCES HAVE THE MOMENTUM.

THE U.S. IS RUSHING AID TO UKRAINE SINCE THE FOREIGN AID PACKAGE PASSED LAST WEEK.

BUT ZELENSKYY SAYS THE WEAPONS COMING FROM THE U.S. NEED TO COME FASTER –

BECAUSE RUSSIA IS CAPITALIZING ON THE HOLDING PERIOD –

SAYING RUSSIA’S ARTILLERY SHELLS OUTNUMBER UKRAINE’S TEN TO ONE.

UKRAINE’S SHORTFALLS ON THE BATTLEFIELD RANGE FROM MANPOWER TO ARTILLERY.

AND RUSSIA IS TAKING ADVANTAGE –

ADVANCING THROUGH AT AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN VILLAGES SINCE FEBRUARY –

FOLLOWING A MAJOR CAPTURE IN THE CRITICAL TOWN OF AVDIIVKA – ONCE HELD BY UKRAINE.

IT’S PUTIN ON THE OFFENSIVE.

UKRAINE – PULLING BACK ITS LINE OF DEFENSE –

AS UKRAINIAN TROOPS OVER THE WEEKEND WERE ORDERED TO RETREAT AND LOSE TWO VILLAGES.

A TOP COMMANDER SAYING HIS TROOPS WERE “OUTGUNNED”  IN “A DIRE SITUATION” THAT IS “WORSENING” AS RUSSIA PRESSES AGAINST A COUNTRY WAITING ON U.S. STOCKPILES TO HELP THEM “RELOAD” ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

THE RETREAT – ORDERED BY UKRAINE TO STRATEGICALLY AND SAFELY POSITION ITS FORCES UNTIL THEY CAN GET THE NEW ARTILLERY AND POTENTIALLY TRY TO GO BACK INTO CAPTURED AREAS.

THINGS ARE NOT GREAT FOR UKRAINE.

AND ARE EXPECTED TO WORSEN.

ACCORDING TO UKRAINE’S OWN INTELLIGENCE –

THE WAR WILL BE “ITS MOST DIFFICULT” IN THE COMING WEEKS –

FROM MID-MAY TO EARLY JUNE.

ZELENSKYY IS HOPEFUL –

THE AID FROM THE U.S. CAN CHANGE THE SITUATION ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

WHILE THE AID DID PASS CONGRESS AND IS ON ITS WAY THIS WEEK –

THERE’S BEEN SKEPTICISM SURROUNDING WHETHER THE 60 BILLION FOR UKRAINE WILL DO ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT.

SOME MILITARY EXPERTS ARE DOUBTFUL IT WILL EQUIP UKRAINE FOR A MAJOR OFFENSIVE OPERATION THIS YEAR.

AND THE ONLY U.S. LAWMAKER WHO IS FROM UKRAINE –

WAS ONE WHO WAS AGAINST THE AID PACKAGE  –

EVEN FOR HER HOMELAND.

Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-IN

“You know, we have the false choice of either saying that Ukraine doesn’t matter to America or support Ukraine with no question asked with blank checks. And both of these positions are not good in our national interest, and both of these positions are not good in the interest of the people of Ukraine.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR –

PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS ON HOW THE WAR IS GOING.

SOME MILITARY EXPERTS SAY THIS LATEST ROUND OF AID WILL GIVE UKRAINE “THE CHANCE TO PREVAIL.”

WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE IT WILL HELP UKRAINE STAY IN THE WAR –

NOT WIN IT.