Post by soulflower on Apr 26, 2024 15:53:48 GMT -5
Daily Beast: Frontline Ukrainians Fear New Aid From U.S. Will Be a Disaster
After months of infighting on Capitol Hill, President Joe Biden has finally been able to sign off on a huge new $61 billion military aid bill for Ukraine. Delays to the bill, which got bogged down in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, were widely blamed for impacting Kyiv’s ability to defend itself from Russian advances.
After its passage last week, some members of the House waved Ukrainian flags while others cheered in celebration that Ukraine will soon receive new weapons ahead of Russia’s expected counteroffensive. Signing it into law at a White House ceremony on Wednesday, Biden promised the arms shipments would begin immediately and hailed what he called “a good day for world peace.”
The reaction here, near the front lines of the war, felt very different.
Oleg sighed when The Daily Beast told him about the events 5,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. “Are you serious?” he said. “Now this war will just continue.”
Oleg is from Saltivka, a part of Kharkiv city that has repeatedly been attacked by Russian missiles. A large majority of residential buildings, businesses, and critically needed infrastructure have been damaged. Oleg said that he is not pro-Russian, and does not want to live under occupation. He has seen some of the worst effects of the war. He has countless friends fighting on the front lines, some of whom have been severely injured or killed, and he’s had to move out of his home. For the most part, Oleg said he just wants the war to be over, but he knows that if Russians soldiers occupy Kharkiv, and discover the large number of friends he has who are fighting for Ukraine, he could be killed. Still, he does not think that the $61 billion in aid will help Ukraine win the war.
“In my mind, and all of my friends, this money doesn’t help Ukraine,” he said. “Our country has too much corruption.”
“The new money will just prolong the war, and civilians and the military are tired. People want peace and negotiations. Not the continuation of the conflict,” he added.
Kharkiv has gotten increasingly dangerous over the last few months, with air raid sirens ringing consistently and new attacks most days. On Monday, Russia partially destroyed Kharkiv’s TV tower, causing interruptions in broadcasting signals, and later that day, the city was attacked again. The Kyiv Independent recently reported that Russia’s new counteroffensive could aim for Kharkiv, and The Guardian predicted that the city could become the next Aleppo, drawing reference to the Syrian city that was destroyed by the Syrian and Russian government a decade ago.
The new aid, which will include cash as well as direct military contributions, will undoubtedly help fend off Russian advances in the country, as the Kremlin’s troops focus their attention on Chasiv Yar. Soldiers told The Daily Beast Russia hopes to take control of the city in the Donbas region by May 9, the World War II Remembrance Day for Russia and other post-Soviet countries.
Throughout much of Ukraine, a collective sigh of relief has been felt, and many far away from the fighting feel that finally, they are receiving the aid they so desperately have needed. But in Kharkiv, 19 miles away from the Russian border, some residents are angry that the U.S. is resuming its aid.
Olena, a local cafe restaurant worker in Kharkiv told The Daily Beast that she is considering leaving her home city and meeting her son in Germany if fighting returns in the expected next Russian offensive. She said that she loves Ukraine, and hopes that they will win the war, but believes Russia may soon have control over the entire country. “Will we win the war if we’re given these weapons?” she scoffed. “I doubt it, very much.”
She is resigned to the scale of the battle Ukraine now faces despite the new injection of support.
“It would be a disaster without weapons,” she said. “But mostly, it's a drop in the bucket.”
After its passage last week, some members of the House waved Ukrainian flags while others cheered in celebration that Ukraine will soon receive new weapons ahead of Russia’s expected counteroffensive. Signing it into law at a White House ceremony on Wednesday, Biden promised the arms shipments would begin immediately and hailed what he called “a good day for world peace.”
The reaction here, near the front lines of the war, felt very different.
Oleg sighed when The Daily Beast told him about the events 5,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. “Are you serious?” he said. “Now this war will just continue.”
Oleg is from Saltivka, a part of Kharkiv city that has repeatedly been attacked by Russian missiles. A large majority of residential buildings, businesses, and critically needed infrastructure have been damaged. Oleg said that he is not pro-Russian, and does not want to live under occupation. He has seen some of the worst effects of the war. He has countless friends fighting on the front lines, some of whom have been severely injured or killed, and he’s had to move out of his home. For the most part, Oleg said he just wants the war to be over, but he knows that if Russians soldiers occupy Kharkiv, and discover the large number of friends he has who are fighting for Ukraine, he could be killed. Still, he does not think that the $61 billion in aid will help Ukraine win the war.
“In my mind, and all of my friends, this money doesn’t help Ukraine,” he said. “Our country has too much corruption.”
“The new money will just prolong the war, and civilians and the military are tired. People want peace and negotiations. Not the continuation of the conflict,” he added.
Kharkiv has gotten increasingly dangerous over the last few months, with air raid sirens ringing consistently and new attacks most days. On Monday, Russia partially destroyed Kharkiv’s TV tower, causing interruptions in broadcasting signals, and later that day, the city was attacked again. The Kyiv Independent recently reported that Russia’s new counteroffensive could aim for Kharkiv, and The Guardian predicted that the city could become the next Aleppo, drawing reference to the Syrian city that was destroyed by the Syrian and Russian government a decade ago.
The new aid, which will include cash as well as direct military contributions, will undoubtedly help fend off Russian advances in the country, as the Kremlin’s troops focus their attention on Chasiv Yar. Soldiers told The Daily Beast Russia hopes to take control of the city in the Donbas region by May 9, the World War II Remembrance Day for Russia and other post-Soviet countries.
Throughout much of Ukraine, a collective sigh of relief has been felt, and many far away from the fighting feel that finally, they are receiving the aid they so desperately have needed. But in Kharkiv, 19 miles away from the Russian border, some residents are angry that the U.S. is resuming its aid.
Olena, a local cafe restaurant worker in Kharkiv told The Daily Beast that she is considering leaving her home city and meeting her son in Germany if fighting returns in the expected next Russian offensive. She said that she loves Ukraine, and hopes that they will win the war, but believes Russia may soon have control over the entire country. “Will we win the war if we’re given these weapons?” she scoffed. “I doubt it, very much.”
She is resigned to the scale of the battle Ukraine now faces despite the new injection of support.
“It would be a disaster without weapons,” she said. “But mostly, it's a drop in the bucket.”