The town of Avdiivka would not have been lost if Ukraine “had received all the artillery ammunition that we needed to defend it,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Ukrainian soldiers "must be credited" with holding up against Russia and sacrificing their lives on the front lines, Kuleba said.
“But the reason they have to sacrifice themselves and die is because someone is still debating a decision. And I respect domestic politics and will not interfere into it, but I just want everyone to remember that every day of debate in one place means another death in another place."
Kuleba said the war would continue and that “Russia does not intend to pause.”
White House official John Kirby also laid the blame for Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka at the feet of Republicans in Congress.
“Let's be clear about this: Ukraine's decision to withdraw from Avdiivka wasn't because they weren't brave enough, wasn’t because weren’t well-led enough, it wasn't because they weren't trained, it wasn't because they didn't have the tactical acumen to defend themselves and to defend that town. It was because of congressional inaction,” he said Tuesday.