Kremlin says US aid for Ukraine won't change military situation

Russia said Thursday that fresh U.S. aid for Ukraine will not change the dynamics on the battlefield, as Washington gears up for a crucial weekend vote on long-stalled military funding for Kiev.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he would advance a $61 billion package of funding for Ukraine, stalled since last year amid political infighting in the Republican Party.

Ukraine has struggled on the battlefield for months, outgunned and outnumbered by Russian forces amid a shortage of Western military aid.

The Kremlin said Thursday it was not bothered by the prospect of a fresh injection of Western arms.

"It won't in any way influence the development of the situation on the front," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.

"All experts now assert that the situation on the front is very unfavourable for the Ukrainian side. Therefore it will not be able to change anything," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the months-long delay has cost Ukraine lives and territory.

Kiev is dependent on Western funding to stave off the Russian offensive.

Washington has been Kiev's most important military backer throughout the conflict, now in its third year.

The lack of fresh funding has become increasingly critical, with Ukrainian leaders urging support on an almost daily basis.

"We need this money yesterday, not tomorrow, not today," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told the BBC on Wednesday.

After months of stalemate on the frontlines, Russian troops have started to chalk up some of their first territorial gains this year.

Although only modest so far, Moscow is seeking to press its advantage on the battlefield, hoping to secure a decisive...