A former CIA officer has called for Ukraine's Western allies to provide the war-torn country with more military support in the ongoing conflict, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "weak now."
John Sipher, who worked in the Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service for 28 years before retiring in 2014, issued his plea on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, as a $60 billion U.S. aid package requested by President Joe Biden remains stalled in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
"For Christ sake. We have a historic opportunity to defeat an enemy who has been at war with us for years," he wrote. "Putin is destroying everything that matters to us. He is weak now. Stop being so timid and act like a superpower."
Sipher added: "Give Ukraine what they need to win!"
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that quick passage of U.S. aid to Ukraine by Congress is "vital."
"We recognize that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor," he said on X.
The Ukrainian leader also said in an interview with CBS News, published on Thursday, that Ukraine needs "help now," warning of a looming Russian offensive, and the possibility of the conflict breaking out on to NATO soil if Putin isn't stopped.
Ukraine needs more artillery and American Patriot missile defense systems, he said.
"Dozens of billions remain in the U.S.," Zelensky said. "Let's be honest, the money which is allocated by the Congress, by the administration, in the majority of cases, 80 percent of this money—well, at least more than 75 percent—stays in the U.S. This ammunition is coming to us, but the production is taking place there, and the money stays in the U.S., and the taxes are staying in the U.S."
"Yes, it's a huge support coming to us, but we need [it]," he added.
U.S. officials have warned Ukraine's current shortages of ammunition could become "catastrophic" by late March.
Two U.S. officials made the assessment in an interview with ABC News late last month, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The juncture starts now and it just keeps getting worse progressively through the spring and into summer. So, this time period that we are entering is a critical time period," a senior U.S. defense official told the network.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
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