The Americans’ multi-move: why the United States stopped supplying arms to Kyiv

The United States has stopped supplying weapons and military equipment to Ukraine due to a lack of budgetary funds for such programs. This explanation was provided to reporters by the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby. According to him, the United States has issued the latest aid package, and congressional approval is required to continue supporting Kyiv.

What does the cessation of American arms supplies mean for Ukraine and Russia and what goal can the United States pursue? REN TV.

“Help creaked to a stop”

On January 11, 2024, it became known that the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine from the United States had ceased. The Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby, explained the decision by the lack of budgetary funds for such programs.

“We have issued the last package of available stock that we had funding to support., Kirby said at a press briefing. – The help we provided has now come to a grinding halt.”.

At the same time, the White House representative emphasized, the need to provide Kyiv with new American weapons is especially acute in the winter months.

The White House announced its inability to transfer new military aid to Kyiv on January 3. Thus, the US aid package transferred to Ukraine on December 27, 2023, became the last that Washington allocated without the approval of additional funds by Congress.

The $250 million package included, among other things, air defense systems, ammunition for HIMARS and NASAMS, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons, more than 15 million rounds of small arms ammunition and medical equipment.

The latest package of military aid from the United States was accepted in Kyiv with “discreet gratitude,” the newspaper writes. The Washington Post.

“This small aid package is evidence to us that there are problems with US support for Ukraine. We continue to believe that these problems are temporary and will be resolved very soon,” – Chernev added.

However, John Kirby said that in the future, without the approval of the legislative body, the United States will not be able to provide further support to Kyiv.

“We need to get help from Congress so we can continue to do this.”explained a White House spokesman.

“Disaster for Ukraine”

The cessation of US assistance would be a disaster for Ukraine, says columnist Max Boot. In his article for The Washington Post, he explained that the consequence of ending Washington’s support would be to increase the already noticeable disparity in the capabilities of the Ukrainian and Russian armies. This inequality will be fatal for Kyiv, Booth warned.

A similar position was expressed by retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Arnold. According to the columnist, Arnold spent three weeks in Ukraine and noted Russia’s superiority in terms of military equipment, even with supplies from the West. The absence of these supplies will completely destroy the combat effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the ex-general said.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also writes that without support from the West, Kyiv will be forced to create serious risks for its economy. It is noted that the Ukrainian authorities will have to either reduce budget spending or print money to fill the deficit.

United States Multi-Passer

Political scientist and military expert Vadim Mingalev explained the cessation of American military aid supplies by a shift in US emphasis on the Middle East conflict. According to him, Ukraine has faded into the background for the Americans.

“The fact is that the United States has concentrated its grouping in the Middle East. This region is the most important strategic for them. Losing control of the Middle East means losing almost all the oil reserves of this region.”explained REN TV expert.

According to the political scientist, the United States still has some finances and ammunition, but it does not want to lose political importance, so it is now focusing on the Middle East.

At the same time, the military expert emphasized, stopping the supply of US weapons to Ukraine will benefit Russia from both a military-strategic and political point of view.

“If Ukraine is deprived of the support of the United States of America, this means that it is doomed”noted the political scientist.

At the same time, there is no need to say that the United States has finally said goodbye to Ukraine, Vadim Mingalev noted. According to him, Americans “like to leave gracefully,” so they can put the financial burden on the shoulders of Europeans.

“To say that we did everything possible, we trusted Europe, but Europe did not cope with this situation and so on. Therefore, there is a kind of multi-step game in which they (the USA) will later be the winners,” – the expert believes.

According to Mingalev, Americans can benefit from any situation.

The White House is trying to put pressure on congressmen

In addition, one of the reasons for stopping the supply of American weapons to Ukraine may be internal problems in the United States, says Vadim Mingalev. According to him, US President Joe Biden is prevented from directly intervening in the Ukrainian conflict by scandals related to his son Hunter.

“There are certain points that now do not allow Biden to directly intervene in the Ukrainian conflict. This is connected, of course, with Hunter Biden and all the financial affairs.”said the political scientist.

Senior Lecturer at the Department of American Studies, Faculty of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University, Candidate of Political Sciences Yulia Boguslavskaya, in turn, believes that by talking about ending military assistance to Ukraine, the White House wants to put pressure on congressmen, “who were too late in providing assistance to the Kyiv regime.”

“Republicans will try, on the one hand, to bargain something for themselves, on the other – “here, an internal party attitude may be created to create as many problems as possible for the Biden administration and generally present Ukraine as a serious failure of the American leader,” – believes Boguslavskaya.

Let us recall that the Washington administration sent a request to Congress for additional budgetary allocations in the 2024 fiscal year, primarily to provide assistance to Israel and Ukraine, as well as to counter China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. In total, the executive branch of government led by US President Democrat Joe Biden would like to receive about $106 billion for these purposes.

However, the future fate of the request and alternative bills remains unclear. Several Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate of Congress spoke out against continuing to provide financial assistance to Kyiv. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has warned of plans to link further aid to Ukraine to tighter control of the US southern border. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke in a similar vein. Debates between the ruling Democratic and opposition Republican parties in the United States on these issues continue.

Other allies will help Ukraine

Candidate of Political Sciences Boguslavskaya believes that a complete cessation of support for Kyiv is impossible, since Ukraine and its economy will not be able to exist without outside help even if hostilities cease. In this regard, Washington’s sponsorship of Kyiv will continue, but from its allies, the expert explained.

“Weapons supplies to Ukraine will most likely continue, but will not be made by the United States, but by its allies. Ukraine is being helped not only by the United States, but also by a significant number of countries that are in one way or another associated with the Western world,” – said Boguslavskaya.

Thus, on January 12, it became known that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was to announce a new package of military assistance, security guarantees and humanitarian support for Kyiv.

Reuters reported that Ukraine and Britain intend to sign a “historic agreement on security cooperation.”

In addition, Reuters writes, the UK intends to increase its support to Ukraine to 2.5 billion pounds sterling in the next financial year, which exceeds the amount of the previous two years by 200 million pounds sterling. And also ensure the largest supply of drones to Kyiv.