Pentagon Chief: Russia will succeed in Ukraine if US support is not continued

(Patria) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Russia will be successful in Ukraine if the United States does not continue its support for Kyiv, Reuters reported.

Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before the Senate Committee on President Joe Biden's request for $106 billion to fund border security plans for Ukraine, Israel, and the US.

"I can guarantee that without our support, (Vladimir) Putin will succeed," Austin said during the hearing. "If we pull the rug out from under them now, Putin will only get stronger and will succeed in what he wants," he added.

Arguing that support for American partners is vital for national security, Biden requested $61.4 billion for Ukraine, of which about half would be spent in the United States to replenish weapons stocks depleted by previous support.

Congress has already approved $113 billion for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The White House has stated that it has less than $5.5 billion in funds to continue transferring weapons from US stocks to Ukrainian forces fighting Russia.

The path forward for Biden's latest funding plan appears uncertain. Democrats strongly support Biden's strategy of combining aid to Ukraine with support for Israel, as do many Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives. But House Republicans oppose combining the two issues, and they have been joined by some party members in the Senate.

Austin said that the Biden administration wanted Ukraine to continue operations through the winter, but Kyiv could not do so if they were forced to pause due to a lack of US support.