Are 'Cowboy Boots on the Ground' the U.S.'s Secret Weapon in Ukraine?

Are ‘Cowboy Boots on the Ground’ the U.S.’s Secret Weapon in Ukraine?

MAKARIV, UKRAINE – APRIL 19: Boots and helmets belonging to Ukrainian military that were stationed at a bread factory bombed by the Russians are left behind on April 19, 2022 in Makariv, Ukraine. At least 13 people were reported dead after the bombing of the factory. (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images)

Posted: December 19th, 2023

By Suzanne Kelly

Suzanne Kelly is CEO & Publisher of The Cipher Brief and is the founding Managing Editor of The Cyber Initiatives Group. She has spent her entire professional career working as a journalist based in the U.S., Europe and Kosovo. She is a former Intelligence Correspondent, Executive Producer and Anchor for CNN and CNN International and is author of the book, Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War.

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — The Biden Administration says it has one more military aid package available for Kyiv before the end of the year and then Ukraine’s future will be largely determined by decisions made in Congress, where a potential aid package is being bogged down by politics as usual.

“When that one’s done … we will have no more replenishment authority available to use and we’re going to need Congress to act without delay” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

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