Without US support, Ukraine stands no chance in war: Ukrainian MP
5 Min Read
Member of the Ukrainian parliament Aleksey Goncharenko says Kiev was "losing the information [war]" in the United States.
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Ukrainian troops load a truck with an FGM-148 Javelin, a man-portable anti-tank missile provided by the US in February, 2022 (AFP)
Ukraine would almost surely lose its war against Russia if the United States quits supplying Kiev with military aid, member of the Ukrainian parliament Aleksey Goncharenko made it clear on Sunday.
"Without the support of the USA, we have almost no chance of holding out," Goncharenko wrote on Telegram.
His words came a day after US Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed cutting military aid to Ukraine from the financing bill in order to avoid a government shutdown.
The House Speaker warned that favoring "Ukraine over America" may lead to "real problems". He also pointed out that were it not for the aid to Ukraine, US lawmakers may have enacted a last-minute budget plan to extend government financing beyond September and prevent a potential shutdown.
The White House announced on Sunday that US President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill, set only to last 45 days, which had passed by Congress to ensure ongoing government funding until November 17.
The funding bill passed by Congress on Saturday left out new aid to Ukraine amid opposition from some hardline Republicans.
McCarthy's words, according to the Ukrainian MP, are "not just a wake-up call" but an "alarm bell" for Ukraine.
Goncharenko underlined that Kiev urgently needed to receive continuous military aid from Washington and that Ukraine should take a more active role in this regard.
He also proposed dispatching a permanent Ukrainian mission to the US Congress and Ukrainian MP visits to every US state to "convince" Americans of the importance of continuing to support Kiev.
The Ukrainian politician also acknowledged that Kiev was "losing the information [war]" in the United States and, as a result, losing support.
"It is necessary to become even more actively involved in the information war," Goncharenko stressed.
He went on to say that it would be useful to communicate to the US "in the language of money" and explain the "benefits of Ukraine's victory."
Goncharenko believes Kiev should also vow to join any military action launched by the United States.
"We are ready to be allies of the USA in all military operations more strongly than Britain," he claimed.
Borrell vows long-term security commitments for Ukraine
While the US dropped Ukraine's funding, albeit temporarily, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell vowed long-term security commitments for Ukraine after meeting with new Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for the first time in person since the latter's appointment in early September. Umerov was appointed as the country's new defense minister in early September replacing sacked Oleksii Reznikov.
"In our 1st in-person meeting with [Umerov], we discussed continuous EU military assistance. Ukraine needs more capabilities & needs them faster. We are preparing long-term security commitments for Ukraine," Borrell wrote on X.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is an existential threat for all of us.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) October 1, 2023
In our 1st in-person meeting with @rustem_umerov, we discussed continuous EU military assistance. Ukraine needs more capabilities & needs them faster. We are preparing long-term security commitments for Ukraine pic.twitter.com/xxILeYa1J8
After aid drop, albeit temporary, Kiev seeks Washington to ensure flow
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine said it was working with the United States to ensure new military aid after US lawmakers dropped additional funding for Kiev in a last-minute deal to avoid a government shutdown.
"The Ukrainian government is now actively working with its American partners to ensure that the new US budget decision, which will be developed over the next 45 days, includes new funds to help Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko confirmed.
Nikolenko added that "the situation with the US temporary budget will not stop the flow of aid to Ukraine, which was announced earlier."
Meanwhile, Biden said on Sunday the United States "will not walk away" from Ukraine despite the shutdown deal.
The US President vowed that the United States would not abandon Ukraine despite aid being dropped from a deal to avoid a government shutdown,
"I want to assure our American allies, the American people and the people in Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away," Biden said in an address from the White House.
He further added there was an "overwhelming sense of urgency" to get Congress to pass a new package of assistance to Ukraine in the days and weeks to come as the war continues.
Biden suggested that Democrats have made a deal with Republicans on support for Ukraine.
Ukraine has relied heavily on Western support since the start of the war last year. The United States has been the country's biggest financial backer, providing it with over $40 billion in military assistance.
But the issue of sending more funds to Ukraine has caused turmoil among the politicians in Washington, where some Republican lawmakers have pushed for deep spending cuts.
88 voted in favor of the decision while nine voted against it. Those who reportedly voted against include Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Ted Cruz, Bill Hagerty, Mike Lee, Roger Marshall, Rand Paul, Eric Schmitt, and J.D. Vance.
If funding measures had not gone into effect before October 1, federal agencies would have been forced to halt "nonessential" work and paychecks until the shutdown is lifted, which also goes for the Small Business Administration, which is responsible for processing new business loans for small businesses.
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