Former NATO chief calls on allies to provide military support to Ukraine
James Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, issued a holiday appeal for increased aid to Ukraine, expressing concern and characterizing the country's cause as just, according to The Hill.
“It’s a very dangerous situation and here, the real action is actually not in Kyiv. The real action is in Washington,” Stavridis conveyed during an appearance on the "Cats Roundtable" radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis on Dec. 24. “We’ve got to provide the military support to Ukraine. Their cause is just.”
The U.S. has already sent Ukraine $111 billion in weapons, equipment, humanitarian assistance and other aid since Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his invasion more than 21 months ago.
Stavridis further remarked that half of the Russian army has been incapacitated without the loss or jeopardy of any U.S. soldiers, emphasizing that this achievement has been accomplished with a financial commitment equivalent to just five percent of the annual U.S. defense budget.
“We can afford to do this, and we should. So I’m worried about the war in Ukraine only if the U.S. and our European allies fail to live up to the commitment we’ve made to support Ukraine,” he said.
The White House hopes that Congress will pass a funding request containing $61 billion for Ukraine in January to maintain support for Kyiv, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 20.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
