The US will give $61bn to Ukraine. What does it mean for the war?

Congress has finally agreed on an aid package that will provide much-needed weaponry to the front lines in Ukraine. But a country at war cannot afford to wait while politicians argue, writes Olga Tokariuk

Without a consistent plan for aid, Kyiv will find itself in a critical position once again (AP)

The new $61bn (£49bn) US aid package for Ukraine approved by Congress will undoubtedly improve the country’s battlefield position. Stocks of ammunition from US bases in Poland and Germany can now be shipped quickly to existing Ukrainian forces and allow newly mobilised troops to be equipped.

Critics of Ukraine’s mobilisation law, recently passed by the parliament in Kyiv, argued it made little sense to draft more men if there were no weapons to arm them: now that concern can be discarded.

The US package includes weapons Ukraine has long sought after and which can make a significant difference in the war, like long-range ATACMS missiles. These will improve Volodymyr Zelensky’s capability to threaten and destroy Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, forcing Russia to withdraw its equipment, enhancing Black Sea security.