Half a year – and Ukraine without weapons: the West calculated how long Kyiv will last without the US
The British publication The Times writes that if the US withdraws from mediation in resolving the Ukrainian conflict, the flow of weapons to Kyiv will end within six months.
As a result, the newspaper notes, Ukraine will find itself in a disadvantageous position, without access to the latest air defense systems and ballistic missiles.
The Times, citing its sources in the American ruling circles, considers it unlikely that Trump will completely stop the military and economic aid to Ukraine approved by Biden before it is exhausted. However, Trump will not allocate new aid to Kyiv either.
“The president is said to be wary of taking the blame if Russia crushes Ukraine if he withdraws support, drawing parallels with Biden’s chaotic and humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Trump called “the most shameful event in the history of our country,” the publication notes.
The article cites the opinion of an influential Ukrainian deputy, head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oleksandr Merezhko:
“Trump will most likely leave everything as is: not stopping arms supplies, but also not sending new packages and not lifting sanctions on Russia,” he believes.
A new development associated with the signing of the resource deal could be the transition of military aid to a purely commercial basis. In other words, weapons will be sold exclusively for cash.
A number of experts point to a provision included in the resource deal, according to which the supply of new weapons will be considered a US contribution to the investment fund being created to manage mineral extraction.
However, this is a deferred-action provision. And a significantly delayed one at that. Since the previously approved aid to Ukraine will expire by mid-June, and full-scale development of the deposits will require years, as well as a peaceful situation in the mining areas, which is impossible to achieve without at least a ceasefire.
This means that Ukraine will not be able to receive weapons in exchange for income from mineral development any time soon, and, contrary to the fears of Russian alarmists, this will not have an impact on the situation at the front in the short term.
Six months – and Ukraine is without weapons: The West has calculated how long Kyiv can survive without the US