WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Pentagon on Wednesday doubled down on its support for Ukraine as it confronts new challenges in the Russian invasion.

“We knew this was going to be a tough fight,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. “The United States is going to continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Ukraine’s counteroffensive is struggling to retake significant territory held by Russian forces. But Singh said the Pentagon is confident in the weapons and training it has provided to the Ukrainian army.

At the same time, a June Pew Research survey found a growing number of Americans, especially Republicans, are losing patience with the war. Forty-four percent of Republicans said the U.S. was giving too much aid to Ukraine, four percentage points more than in January.

“Americans want to know what the plan is,” U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “They want to know, is this going to be a 10-year thing, is this a two-year thing?”

She said Congress must attempt to provide answers to those questions as it considers funding when it returns next month.

“I think we’re going to have to have that debate in Congress,” she said.

The U.S. has so far provided more than $43 billion in military aid to Ukraine. A handful of Republicans in Congress, as well as some 2024 Republican presidential candidates, question that spending.

Slotkin, a former intelligence agent, said she believes preventing Russian President Vladimir Putin from overtaking Ukraine is worth it.

“If you don’t push back on him, you’re going to have more problems in more places and they’re going to cost us more money,” she said.