US State Department describes victory strategy for Ukraine required by Congress

James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has outlined what the victory strategy for Ukraine that Congress requires of the White House may be like.

O’Brien said the US wants Ukraine to win, and that the war in the east needs to be stabilised, which partially depends on artillery and other weapons, as well as on creating fortifications.

"Ukraine needs to make sure it has the people necessary to fight. So this mobilisation bill that's working through the Rada is very important. And then destabilising Russian firing positions so that we can keep the Black Sea open.

That right now is the most important elements," he said.

O’Brien noted that two momentous events for Ukraine’s foreign policy will take place this year: the beginning of accession negotiations with the EU, and then putting in place "what we'll call a bridge, a sort of clear path forward to membership in NATO" after some reforms have been implemented.

"So as we get to the end of this year, if Ukraine fights as we know it can and will with these  (promised) weapons and the progress is happening on those two elements of global positioning, the EU and NATO, then Ukraine is in a position to win regardless of what Putin decides to do.

And I think that's the path forward," O’Brien stressed.

On 20 April, the US House of Representatives passed a bill on foreign aid for Ukraine.  311 members of the House of Representatives voted in favour of the bill and 112 against.

The bill will now be submitted to the Senate as an amendment to the Senate bill on foreign aid, HR.815, which was passed in February. This should simplify the procedure for approving the package in the Senate.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that US senators will vote on aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, 23 April.