Sao Paulo
The money that the United States is providing to help Ukraine in its war against Russia ended on December 27, and there are no plans for new contributions unless the American Congress supports a new military aid package that has been approved since last year by the Joe Biden government was proposed.
The statement, sung by the White House since the beginning of December, was made on Wednesday (3) by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. “We have now given Ukraine the latest package of security assistance. Now we need support from Congress to continue to do so,” he said.
There is still $4.4 billion (R$21.6 billion) available for free use by Biden, but Kirby signaled that without parliamentary support for the security package of R$520 billion and R$300, Of which R$ 300 billion, no chance was decided by the government at the end of the year and rejected in Congress.
“Without additional funding, there is no other magic pot from which to support Ukraine,” he said. Last month, Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder cited reasons beyond the political struggle for the difficulty in supporting the Ukrainians.
“Of course we reserve the right to spend all funds [os US$ 4,4 bilhões]“But these are difficult decisions because at the end of the day we have to make decisions about our own preparation and our ability to continue to support Ukraine,” he said.
The United States is the largest Western sponsor of Volodymir Zelensky's government. According to the support monitor of the Institute for the World Economy in Kiel (Germany), of the R$1.2 trillion in aid provided to Kiev through October, the US contributed R$380 billion, 61% of which went to arms transfers.
The last aid package in 2023 cited by Kirby was the 54th since the war began on February 24, 2022. It totaled US$250 million (R1.2 billion) and included ammunition for the Nasams antiaircraft system, as well as artillery rockets and M270s launchers.
The situation is at an impasse. Republicans are keeping an eye on the campaign, saying Biden's security package doesn't take into account the Latino refugee crisis at the Mexican border. On the other hand, since some of the money will be used to support Israel, it is not unlikely that the opposition will make gestures towards the politically important American Jewish community.
In the middle of the firefight is Zelensky, who is going through a difficult period of the war, with the failure of his counteroffensive last year and renewed pressure from the Russians, particularly with heavier air strikes than any since the turn of the year.
He has already been outspoken about fears that Biden could lose the election if it is difficult to maintain levels of support among Democrats, Trump's decline will be seen as certain. Observers point out that the complex situation could lead to a climate of negotiations, given that the R250 billion aid package that the European Union was considering this year is also suffering from delays.
Russia's Vladimir Putin has rubbished this and toughened the tone of his speech and will certainly not let up until he is reelected in the March elections. But from there a window is open so that if it can achieve victory while retaining the 20% it already takes from its neighbor, a deal can be struck.
Western boredom with the costs and effects of war contributes to this, but Kiev clearly doesn't want to hear about territorial losses. Meanwhile, both sides are preparing for an indefinite extension of the conflict, benefiting Russia, which is more capable in terms of manpower and military production.