U.S., NATO, and Western support in general, has been a serious gamechanger for Ukraine. Not only has the aid contributed decisively to stopping Russia’s military advance, it has also had a geopolitical and symbolic effect by showing the extent to which the Free World is willing to go to halt Russian aggression. With the incoming additional US assistance efforts being provided through H.R. 7691 (“Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022”) and S. 3522 (“Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022’’), this assistance is destined to reach another level.
This massive support, however, is only part of the story. Currently, Ukraine’s armed forces are struggling with a wide array of additional needs that are barely addressed within the “big picture,” seriously hampering defense efforts. As a result, civil society, in response to requests from all military levels, has been stepping in to fill these needs. And this alternate, complementary, flexible system requires consistent, dependable support in order to continue to operate successfully.
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