US vows aid to Ukraine throughout war, urges EU allies to follow suit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Bloomberg
2 Oct 2022 18:44
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The US is pushing for further assistance to Ukraine as the EU struggles to deliver its commitments.

The US plans to pay monthly grants to Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported on Sunday that the US is keen on making monthly transfers in aid to Ukraine in efforts to continue the war against Russia and it called on its EU counterparts to assist in the like.

According to Bloomberg, quoting sources familiar with the matter, the monthly amount is expected to be $1.5 billion.

Although just two days ago, the US approved $12 billion in aid of which $4.5 are supposed to cover the rest of the year, the report states that the White House has recently held private conversations with EU officials to press them to "do more", the sources told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity.

Since the start of the energy crisis, the EU has been struggling to provide Ukraine with the support it had promised to deliver. While some have been discussing strategies for keeping Ukraine's economy afloat, others have warned that Congress will certainly question this program on a long-term basis for burden-sharing among allies.

The IMF estimates that about $5 billion a month are required for Ukraine to maintain basic operations and the overall economy ongoing. Ukraine received $2 billion in aid last month, down from $4.7 billion in August, Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said.

Last July, the bloc was heavily criticized by allies for failing to deliver on its commitments of nearly €9 billion ($8.8 billion).

EU plans for Ukraine

This coming week, EU leaders are scheduled to meet at a summit in the Czech Republic to discuss Kiev's financial needs, with a draft budget set at $38 billion for the year 2023.

Officials in charge of arranging the meeting were informed that funding levels from the EU would approximately be equal to the monthly $1.5 billion the US was willing to provide.

The sources told Bloomberg that this amount is required to cover basic public expenditures, such as schools, hospitals, and Ukraine’s electrical network.

Bloomberg says that a few diplomats have expressed frustration over the slow pace of financial decision-making and the show of apathy among some national governments toward the debate, especially as winter approaches.

Despite all the havoc over the €9 billion package, €1 billion were dispatched last summer and another €5 billion are already approved but not yet delivered.

The remaining €3 billion are still being discussed on whether to be sent as grants or loans.

In the first half of the year, the EU supported Ukraine with €1.2 billion in loans and billions in arms and weapons deliveries.

On the summit's agenda are also included plans to discuss Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, although some argue that Kiev's current needs are far more pressing.

Since the start of the war, the US has given Ukraine $16.9 billion for "security assistance", which includes a package worth $600 million in early September. Additionally, the White House asked Congress for $13.7 billion for "security and economic assistance" for Ukraine.

The US also approved on September 28 an extra $1.1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, providing 18 new High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

HIMARS is capable of launching Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles with a range of up to 50 miles as well as a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile with a range of 186 miles. The US has been continuously supplying Ukraine with GMLRSs, while Kiev continues to make demands for ATACMS delivery.

Although the US and the EU have been quite supportive in financial terms, they have not met Ukraine's needs in terms of military equipment, as per Ukrainian claims.

On September 30, Military Watch Magazine published an article that detailed the reasons why it is improbable that the US and Germany would deliver Leopard II or Abrams Tanks to Ukraine.

It was reported on September 30 that the White House might sign an order that would provide Ukraine with the most up-to-date Abrams and Leopard tanks.

But the article states five reasons why it is improbable for this delivery to ever happen - one of the reasons being that the Western bloc does not want to compromise all the intelligence invested in the production of its most valuable tanks through capture.