Tensions mount between US, EU over low Ukraine funding
4 Min Read
A congressional source says the risks of an escalation of the conflict with Russia are forcing the US, whose own resources are running out, to reduce its arms supply to Ukraine.
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Ukrainian soldier unpacking Javelin anti-tank missiles delivered by the US (Reuters)
Tensions appear to be rising between Washington and Brussels as the United States keeps pushing the European Union to boost economic assistance to Ukraine, The Washington Post reported, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with multiple global financial leaders this past week in Washington and urged them to ramp up both the speed and amount of financial flows channeled to Ukraine.
The sources told The Washington Post that Yellen raised this issue during a private meeting with European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni at the International Monetary Fund conference. Stepping up financial aid to Kiev was also on the agenda of Yellen's meeting with all EU finance ministers.
While Washington's resentment over the EU's delayed economic aid to Ukraine grows, Brussels seems to disagree with the idea that Europe has been sluggish or inadequate in providing funds to Kiev, the newspaper indicated, recalling a recent statement of European Commission Spokesperson Nuyts Veerle, who said that Europe's cumulative aid to Ukraine amounted to around 19 billion euros ($18.5 billion).
In mid-August, the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported that since the start of the war, Ukraine received more than $82 billion in aid from Western countries.
US close to running out of resources to supply to Ukraine
In a similar context, Fox News reported on Saturday, citing sources, that the US is close to running out of opportunities to continue delivering military aid to Ukraine, while Washington's concern about a possible confrontation with Russia is growing.
The broadcaster said the US intends to slow down the delivery of modern weapons to Ukraine, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger air defense systems, and M-777 howitzers.
On Friday, the US Defense Department said Washington would donate more ammunition for HIMARS and additional artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a new $725 million military assistance package.
In addition, the new package will include 5,000 anti-tank weapons, additional High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), more than 200 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, and more than two million rounds of small arms ammunition.
A congressional source also indicated that the risks of an escalation of the conflict with Russia are forcing Washington to reduce its activity in the supply of arms, although the possibilities for providing Kiev with new military aid packages still remain.
It is noteworthy that since 2021, the US has already provided $18.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, while the amount of aid provided since 2014 has reached $20.3 billion.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked on Wednesday for $55 billion in aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in order to rebuild Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
"The more assistance Ukraine gets now, the sooner we'll come to an end to the Russian war, and the sooner and more reliably we will guarantee that such a cruel war will not spread into other countries," the Ukrainian President said, speaking virtually to Finance Ministers in Washington.
Read more: Zelensky: $2 bln required to fix electric energy infrastructure
Biden warns Zelensky against ungrateful remarks
But on October 12, US President Joe Biden warned Zelensky that it would be difficult to keep asking the US Congress for money if he continued to complain about not receiving enough assistance, The Washington Post reported, citing a former White House official.
However, despite Zelensky's repeated ungrateful remarks, Biden's administration has pledged to support Ukraine in its war against Russia for "as long as it takes" and has been increasingly providing Kiev with advanced weapons.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian President also called on the G7 group to assist Kiev in constructing an "air shield". NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg indicated that the "top priority" of Ukraine's Western backers was to supply it with more air defenses.
Zelensky was assured by Biden that the US still intends to ship air defense systems to Ukraine alongside security assistance.
Read more: Fox News host mocks Zelensky: "Who are you, troll? Go away!"
