Ukraine faces Russian meat storms, military chiefs warn as U.S. aid stalls – National [Video]

Pressure is intensifying on the U.S. Congress to pass additional aid to Ukraine, with senior military leaders in Canada and the U.S. issuing stark warnings this week that Russia will overwhelm the Ukrainians unless ammunition starts flowing to Kyiv soon.

The mounting pressure comes as Ukraine has passed a controversial law to expand military conscription in the country, hours after Russia launched another round of missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight Thursday.

“The strikes in Ukraine over the past 24 hours are another terrible reminder that Ukraine’s need is critical,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday as she urged the U.S. House of Representatives to hold a vote on whether to approve billions of dollars in new aid.

Yet Canada’s political leaders are continuing to express confidence that U.S. support for Ukraine will ultimately prevail, with Defence Minister Bill Blair most recently calling the legislative logjam in Washington “a bump in the road.”