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“If not us, then who?” – This is how American President Joe Biden (80) responded last week to a journalist’s question whether the US could simultaneously promise support to Israel and Ukraine. In the US, however, the tide turned on support for Ukraine long before the outbreak of the recent Middle East crisis. Because the US House of Representatives still has no speaker – and therefore no decision-making power. This means that new support for Ukraine cannot be guaranteed at this time.
The United States has provided $52.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute. Meanwhile, Germany, Ukraine’s second-largest lender, has supported the country with around 12 billion euros. The difference between the top donor and the second top donor shows why a lack of US support is a huge problem for Ukraine.
If the US actually fails, the EU will have to fill the vacuum that has arisen. According to Josep Borrell (76), the EU representative for foreign affairs, this is virtually impossible. “If the US stops or massively reduces its support, Ukraine will have a problem that the Europeans cannot solve,” he admitted last week.
The EU is looking for solutions everywhere
Difficult times call for desperate measures. And how desperate Europe is is evident from a questionable deal that the EU leadership in Brussels is currently working out. The leading role is played by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (60). Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year, the head of state has been opposed to EU support for Ukraine. This concerns a fund worth 20 billion euros, which is intended to supply Ukraine with military supplies for another five years.
But the Hungarian Prime Minister should now be made willing. The EU’s idea: The alliance releases billions of dollars it has blocked because of Orbán’s violations of the rule of law. In return, the prime minister stops his opposition to new aid money for Ukraine. According to information from the German magazine Spiegel, it was recently said that a solution could be ready soon. But: the EU Parliament warns the European Commission not to release EU funds for Hungary. And Orbán’s eventual approach to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (71) – a sympathetic handshake during a meeting in China – complicates matters even further.
Will tanks be produced in Ukraine soon?
The Ukrainian government itself comes up with a different solution: Ukraine must produce the weapons and ammunition it needs itself, with the help of the EU. According to Politico magazine, at least German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65) thinks this is a good idea. He and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (48) officially announced on Tuesday a joint defense project between Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian state defense company, for armored vehicles.
It may take some time before these factories in Ukraine actually start producing vehicles. But the war in Ukraine is going badly. The Ukrainian summer offensive has not delivered what it promised, and the war appears to have turned into a prolonged war of attrition. This means that Ukraine urgently needs further military support – without this support things don’t look good. And even if the EU gives everything it has, without the US, Ukraine’s chances are slim.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
