It took months of delays and desperate pleas from Ukraine, but the US House of Representatives has finally passed a bill authorising US$60 billion (£50 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine.

The bill is still subject to Senate approval and then needs to be signed into law by the US president, Joe Biden. But given the Senate’s previous approval of a similar measure and Biden’s vehemence of the need to support Ukraine, this should be a formality.

So, will US support save Ukraine from what might otherwise have been an all-but-certain defeat? The answer is not straightforward. What is certain is that it gives Ukraine a breathing space on the battlefield – and an opportunity to halt a slow but steady Russian offensive that has netted Moscow substantial territorial gains in recent months.

Apart from Senate and presidential approval, there are still some logistical difficulties to overcome. Most of the urgently needed military hardware, especially ammunition, is already stored in Poland. But it needs to be transported to the frontlines and incorporated into defence strategy and tactics by Ukrainian troops there.

But, given that they are now secure in the knowledge that supplies arrive soon, Kyiv will be less compelled to ration ammunition as it has been forced to do recently. Together with the morale boost for troops, this means that improvements in the situation on the front are likely – even before new US supplies will arrive.

How much........

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