Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to persuade US authorities to supply Kiev with tanks, fighter jets and longer-range precision missiles, New York Times columnists wrote.
“The Ukrainian leader’s triumphant visit ended with the United States’ promise to provide billions of dollars in additional aid, but not what he most wanted,” the authors write.
At the same time, the journalists did not rule out that Zelensky could still receive the requested assistance, as the “limits of American support” have changed in favor of Ukraine.
The NYT writes that the Ukrainian president has flown out of the United States “with almost $2 billion worth of new weapons and equipment, as well as congressional commitments to provide about $50 billion in additional aid next year.”
After Zelenskiy’s visit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States will continue to provide the equipment Ukraine needs.
“In such situations, any president, any commander-in-chief would like to get it as soon as possible and as soon as possible, and we are ready to contribute and help in this regard,” he said.
At the same time, US President Joe Biden approved one item from the list of desirable weapons – the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.
New York Times reporters described Zelensky’s visit to Washington as a vivid demonstration of his strategy of “courting and putting pressure on allies.”
“He knew he wouldn’t get everything he wanted, but he believed that the combination of his constant demands with the unstable situation at the front would force the United States to reconsider its principles,” write the paper’s authors.
What will the US not send to Ukraine?
According to the authors of the NYT, citing unnamed US officials, the reason for the change in US authorities’ position on the supply of certain types of weapons is “change in nature, not level, of war. Risks to the White House.”
The Biden administration decided to send the Patriot battery after Russia launched repeated attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure as winter approached.
But there are weapons the White House still refuses to send to Kiev, according to the NYT. It can be roughly divided into three categories.
The first category will include ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles with a range of up to 300 km. The US does not supply them, fearing that their use by the Ukrainian military will force Russia to “expand the war”.
At a joint conference with Zelensky, Biden warned that sending weapons could undermine NATO’s unity in supporting Ukraine. “They will not go to war with Russia,” he said of the alliance. “They are not waiting for the Third World War.”
At the same time, some retired US commanders believe that “the administration continues to exaggerate the risk of escalation and underestimate the innovative warfare methods of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The second category of weapons that will not be supplied to Ukraine are the MQ-1C Gray Eagle and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. They will not be deployed for fear that “Russia could use its advanced technologies” if they are captured by Russian forces.
Finally, the White House is not ready to agree to send M1 Abrams tanks and F-16 warplanes to Kiev. Pentagon officials say it will take the military months to learn how to use such weapons and require special care that such systems would not be safe to install in a war zone.
Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy said Ukraine needed more ammunition, but the United States could not easily provide them. “We don’t have stock to supply and we don’t manufacture ammunition to fire their equipment,” Murphy told the NYT.
He also acknowledged that negotiating new aid packages for Ukraine may soon become even more difficult as Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives and Democrats retain their majority in the Senate.
‘Conflict could get worse’
Meanwhile, observers of the Global Times’ Chinese edition believe that the US decision to allocate additional financial and military aid to Kiev overshadows the prospect of peace in Ukraine.
“As Washington continues to intervene, the conflict may become more arduous and intense. In the eyes of American politicians, supporting Ukraine is synonymous with preserving the US-dominated world order,” reporters say.
According to the authors, the Ukrainian President’s trip to the United States was a “clear sign” of his readiness to continue the conflict.
“The conflicting parties disagree on many issues and the requirements are too different to coordinate,” the newspaper writes.
Earlier, the White House announced the allocation of a new $1.85 billion military aid package to Ukraine, which includes a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, 500 precision-guided artillery munitions, 37 Cougar armored vehicles, grenade launchers, mines and light weapons.
Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.