Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to continue fighting the Russian invasion “for as long as it takes,” amid the wavering commitment among some U.S. Republicans to fund the ongoing war effort. There is no “expiration date” or “end date” short of victory, he said in a defiant veterans day speech.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) were among the Republican leaders signaling that more aid for Ukraine is in the pipeline, during television interviews on Sunday. McCarthy, who linked that support to increased U.S. border control efforts, is also facing a potential challenge to his leadership that could further complicate U.S. aid plans.
Another challenge to Western unity on Ukraine policy may come from pro-Russian populist Robert Fico of Slovakia and his party, which won the country’s parliamentary elections over the weekend. If Fico’s Smer party leads a coalition government, as appears likely, it could threaten Slovakia’s strong support for Ukraine.
E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell promised to push European armies and industries to keep producing the ammunition Kyiv needs to continue its fight. During a visit to Ukraine over the weekend, he said the current supply plan is on “a good track.”
Russia is engaging in tactical counterattacks in the Robotyne area in Ukraine’s southeast, amid a months-long offensive by Ukraine in the area, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The situation is fluid, and some trenches have “changed hands several times,” the Washington-based think tank said, citing geolocated footage.
The Ukrainian air force warned Monday that Russian forces are using tactical missiles in front-line areas in the southeast. Missile attacks were repelled in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions early Monday, air force officials said on Telegram.
“These are off-the-charts numbers,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He likened the figures to U.S. commitments to European countries at the end of World War II. The Marshall Plan, when adjusted for inflation, came to about $150 billion over three years.