'My Body Shows You The Price': Ukrainian Vets Make Case For Renewed Aid

WASHINGTON — Oleksandr Batalov, a Ukrainian army veteran, had a simple answer when asked what happens when a unit runs out of artillery shells on the battlefield.

“If we had proper artillery support in the battle where I was, I would still have my leg,” he said through an interpreter. “After the injury, I was lying on the ground for six and half hours, waiting to be evacuated.”

Batalov is part of a group of Ukrainian vets and service members who met with lawmakers, American veterans and Pentagon officials in recent days as part of a project called The Message on the Frontline. The initiative is aimed at raising awareness of the continuing war in Ukraine.

“My body shows you the price when there is lack of proper support,” Batalov said during an appearance with other vets Wednesday at the Ukraine House cultural center in Washington.

The group was in Washington at a pivotal time, as a foreign aid bill that would send about $48 billion of weapons and $8 billion in economic aid to Ukraine, which is facing shortages of artillery and ammunition, is hung up in the House because of Republican opposition.

Initially, Ukraine was to get a smaller tranche of aid at the end of September, but Republicans ripped it out of a temporary spending bill at the last minute . Then in February, a carefully negotiated bill that would have boosted border security in return for approving the aid was killed when Senate Republicans refused to support it after GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said he opposed it.

Instead, the Senate passed a narrower bill with 70 votes that provided aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. That bill has not been taken up by House Republicans.

President Joe Biden is likely to press Republicans to move on the