How long will the US aid Ukraine in the war?

Continued aid from the United States for Ukraine in its war against Russia will be contingent on Kyiv's success on the battlefield, according to experts, military officials and members of Congress.

Hi, it's Julius with an update on Ukraine.

Significant gains in battle are unlikely to be swift, however. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin echoed that sentiment last week while imploring NATO allies to send Ukraine more ammunition and air defense systems.

"Ukraine's fight is a marathon, not a sprint," Austin said.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Pentagon has spent more than $40 billion to send missiles and bullets, armored personnel carriers and soon tanks to besieged troops there.

President Joe Biden maintains that U.S. aid to Ukraine will continue as long as it's needed. Yet public support for supplying Ukraine with weapons hovers around 50%, according to a University of Chicago poll last month.

Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus are also not inclined to provide additional aid to Ukraine this year, especially without corresponding spending cuts.

Looking down the road, military support from the U.S. will likely be sustained into 2025, said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow and director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution. That coincides with the end of the Biden administration's first term. A Republican administration would likely be less inclined to continue robust support.

That makes the success or failure of the Ukrainian offensive all the more pivotal.

More on the Ukraine-Russia crisis:

• Members of the European Union agreed on a new set of sanctions against Russia, the Associated Press reported.
• Countries attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London pledged billions of dollars to help rebuild Ukraine's infrastructure and pave the way for membership in the E.U., according to the Associated Press.