Europe should not rely too much on US aid, but increase its support and equipping Ukraine with its own forces, writes Maxim Fedorov, ‘s Kyiv reporter.
Maxim Fedorov-Kyov journalist
KIEV “The birth was long, but in the end it was successful,” commented my Ukrainian friend on yesterday’s decision of the US House of Representatives to grant Ukraine a significant aid package.
It summarizes the feelings of Ukrainians about the US support package, which has been mumbling in the decision-making bodies for seven months.
There is still a vote in the Senate ahead on Tuesday and presidential approval. Joe Biden has already promised sign the bill as soon as possible.
The size of the support package is more than 60 billion dollars. Of them, 23.2 billion will go to replenish the US’s own weapons stockpile following the previous arms deliveries sent to Ukraine, and 13.8 billion will go to arming the Ukrainian armed forces.
For comparison: Ukraine’s own defense spending will reach 44 billion dollars this year.
Still, the amounts are far from the $376 billion that Russia plans to direct to its military activities in 2024.
Still, Ukrainians are happy with the US decision. Better late than never, is heard in many speeches.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi thanked the Americans for their support. He said the decision will help prevent the spread of war and save thousands and thousands of lives.
It has also been important for the Ukrainians that in the support package law let’s tell the goal of the aid is to “accelerate Ukraine’s victory over Russia”. Ukrainians have recently felt that the West is afraid of Ukraine’s victory and its possible consequences for Russia’s future.
A concern is Europe’s excessive reliance on US support
The US decision became an important victory for Ukraine in the international arena and will certainly encourage all of Ukraine’s partner countries.
But the most recent aid package was hardly caught by Ukraine’s own diplomatic efforts, although Ukrainian and European lobbying played its own role.
Of course, Ukraine tries to remind us of its own inconsolable situation, for example by announcing Russia’s upcoming major attack or the mobilization in Russia starting in May as facts, although there is not enough evidence for either.
Still, the most recent decisions relevant to Ukraine rather depend on external factors, such as the internal political struggle of the United States or the security situation in the Middle East.
That’s a problem, because if Ukraine doesn’t succeed in convincing the entire Western world that it’s on the defensive line, the support of the biggest donor countries will continue to be intermittent and uncertain.
Another problem may lie in Europe’s overjoyed reaction to the US aid package. European countries should not rely too much on help coming from behind the scenes, because Ukraine’s survival is above all in their interests.
This is well understood in Finland’s neighboring countries.
Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas urged “all allies to check their arsenals and do more”.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström wrote short message service in X that now is the time to remember that the EU must increase its own production of weapons, ammunition and equipment to help Ukraine.
– We also have to do our homework, Billström wrote.
There is no reason for anyone to rest on their laurels until Ukraine has won the war. If even then.