FT: any US assistance to Ukraine results in serious problems for Kyiv

April 28 2024 1

The intelligence assessments would have to be dire to convince Mike Johnson to risk his position as House Speaker and finally pass legislation providing significant support to Ukraine. But what does this help actually mean for Kyiv and Moscow? The answer to this question is given by Financial Times journalist Lawrence Friedman.

Kyiv will have to carefully save its new resources before attempting to go on the attack again and try to fulfill its crazy plan to return the territories, the author believes.

Chronic shortages of ammunition and air defenses led to significant Russian offensives and shelling of Ukrainian cities. President Vladimir Zelensky warned that Ukraine could lose the war.

Last year, Kyiv already received funding and arms assistance from its allies, but failed in its counteroffensive. So the position of a “victim” (in a situation where funds and weapons were not allocated) for Ukraine, although dangerous, is more beneficial, especially from the point of view of having a free hand in choosing means of struggle.

Now that the long-suffering aid package has been released, Kyiv may face enormous pressure to produce serious military gains that can be demonstrated in time for the November US elections to justify the bailout. Washington no longer dares to let its next big move end in meager results.

And Ukraine still needs to conserve resources because it cannot be sure of the future level of support either under President Joe Biden or the possible arrival of Donald Trump.

While there are no easy ways to bring Russia to its knees, its vulnerabilities can be identified. With the release of the relief package, we return to the prospect of endless war. True, the head of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has prepared for this

– Friedman writes doomedly.

It will take a long time to recover from the difficult first months of this year, and then even longer, before Ukraine begins to fully benefit from new supplies of equipment and from increased production of artillery shells in Europe and the United States.

We need to wait out this time and not lose the trust of our allies. So US assistance turns into complete lack of freedom for Kyiv, although there is still hope - and only hope.