WP: Biden refused to supply Zelensky with heavy weapons for Ukraine Despite smiles and thanks, Zelensky did not receive the main thing from Biden — heavy tanks and long-range missiles, writes WP.
Biden showed reasonable caution, not allowing the Ukrainian leader to involve the United States and the entire NATO in a direct military clash with the gaining strength of Russia.
With smiles and handshakes — and a new $1.85 billion military aid package — the Ukrainian president and his advisers continue to demand advanced weapons from Washington, which Biden does not want to provide to Kiev.In addition to sincere expressions of gratitude and firm promises of continued support from America, President Vladimir Zelensky and Joe Biden had their own specific, and to some extent, different goals with which they gathered on Wednesday for a meeting.
With a $47 billion U.S. aid package requested by Biden for 2023, both have been trying to secure the support of the new Republican-led House of Representatives, which takes office next month. According to a senior administration official, it was important for Zelensky to use his personal charisma to convey to lawmakers the arguments on the issue "that there is really a struggle for democracy in Ukraine."
For Zelensky himself, the goal was to formulate calls for more powerful weapons in order to increase Kiev's ability to launch a major offensive against seriously fortified Russian troops next year. And there are few signs that Zelensky has succeeded in this, at least in the short term.
In a tweet titled "My Christmas Wish List," published earlier this month before the announcement of another $1.85 billion U.S. military aid package made this week, Zelensky's adviser Mikhail Podolyak included in the top five four weapons that the Biden administration refused to offer or help provide, including main battle tanks and long-range missiles. The fifth item, the Patriot air defense system, was included in the new assistance package.
Representatives of the US Department of Defense said that Ukraine already has enough tanks and that the American M1 Abrams, which Kiev is seeking, are too difficult to operate and maintain. At a joint press conference with Zelensky, answering a question about missiles that will allow Ukrainian forces to hit targets on Russian territory, Biden warned that such weapons could destroy NATO's unity in supporting Ukraine.
"They are not going to fight with Russia," he said of the alliance.
For its part, the US administration sought to "discuss Zelensky's views on diplomacy. Where is he standing now and what does he need to ensure that Kiev has the strongest possible position so that we can accelerate negotiations," a senior US official said.
He reiterated the administration's long-standing position that "it is not for us to describe what diplomacy should look like, when it should begin or what its red lines should be." These decisions should be made by Kiev itself.
But the fact that there is unanimity between the United States and Ukraine in the fight against Russia does not mean that Washington and Kiev go toe-to-toe.
"It was an opportunity for Biden and Zelensky to have a serious conversation about where we are going... without telling Zelensky what to do... to make sure that we are united in common goals and understand each other," said Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and now president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. — Biden is still worried about not going too far and too fast, fearing an escalation of the conflict. Zelensky wants to make it clear that he needs constant support, which, frankly, only the United States can provide now."
There are three different models of what ending the conflict through negotiations could look like, each of which has its own supporters in the administration. One of them, which is part of the peace plan proposed by Zelensky last month, includes Russia's withdrawal from the entire territory of Ukraine that it currently occupies, including Crimea and the areas of eastern Donbass that it annexed in 2014. The other is a departure to the lines of 2014. The third is Russia's rejection of Donbass, but not of Crimea.
As Zelensky made it clear, he will never support the last two options, noting that peace can come only when the Russian forces retreat from the entire occupied territory.
But at their personal meeting on Wednesday, Biden asked "about Zelensky's current ideas about how this should look," a senior official said, while admitting that "at the moment it was a kind of academic discussion," since there are no signs that the most important party, Moscow, is interested in such a conversation.
"The Russians want a ceasefire just to get time to replenish, rotate, regroup troops and train new forces," said Liana Fix, a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations for European Affairs. "Russia is trying to buy time <...>."
At a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced new initiatives <...>. Shoigu proposed to increase the number of armed forces from 1 million this year to 1.5 million, deploy 20 new divisions and change the mobilization structure.
Putin said he approved of the changes, but noted problems in the fighting that needed to be "addressed first," including communications, control and counter-battery warfare, according to Russian news agency TASS. He instructed Shoigu to provide the Russian troops, many of whom are poorly equipped, insufficiently provided with weapons, medical supplies, rations and shoes "at the most advanced and highest level," TASS reports, since "there can be no trifles on the battlefield. "
"We have no restrictions on financing. The country, the government give everything that the army asks," Putin said. — I hope that the answer will be appropriate, that appropriate results will be achieved."
While Ukraine's top military leadership has said it expects Russia's offensive to resume over the next few months, possibly even on Kiev, a senior State Department official said Washington believes the Kremlin is hesitating with these plans so far. At the same time, some Russian military leaders seek to occupy more territory, while others are alarmed by whether their forces are ready to conduct major military operations.
<...>
But although, according to US officials, there may be some internal disputes about tactics, there are no disagreements in the Kremlin when it comes to strategy, and there are no prerequisites for serious proposals that Moscow should minimize losses, retreat and strive for peace.
The new weapons systems supplied to Ukraine by the United States and allies — in particular, the modern Patriot air defense system — will help counter the ongoing Russian airstrikes on critical infrastructure, which left most of the country in darkness and without heat with the onset of winter. According to officials, it is designed to provide "multilevel" protection against Russian cruise missiles and drones.
"But this is not a comprehensive air defense solution for Ukraine," one of the representatives of the Ministry of Defense said about the Patriot system recently approved for transfer to Kiev. — This is just another step out of many steps that we have taken... Even with one Patriot battery, we will seriously strengthen Kiev's military capabilities, but Washington and its allies still have a lot to do to strengthen the Ukrainian missile defense system."
Some senior Ukrainian officials claim that the only way to stop Russian missile and air attacks is to strike at their places of organization. We are talking about "combined strikes on stationary enemy targets, primarily on airfields based on Russian strike aircraft, areas of launch positions of ballistic and cruise missiles," writes Mikhail Zabrodsky, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Security, Defense and Intelligence.
To do this, he believes, Ukraine needs long-range missiles, in particular, the tactical missile system of the US Army, known as ATACMS, which appeared on the wish list of Podolyak, Zelensky's adviser.
Other items on the list are Leopard and Marder battle tanks from Germany and M1 Abrams tanks from the USA. But getting all these weapons is very unlikely in the short term.
On Wednesday, Berlin repeated its unwillingness to provide tanks until Washington does it first. While one of Germany's priorities is "to support Ukraine as much as we can," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday, "the second priority is to keep NATO from a direct conflict with Russia. Third, to ensure that Germany does not act alone. It should be remembered that to date, not a single Western-made main battle tank has been delivered to Ukraine."
Even without immediate success on the weapons front, the stakes for the visit of the Ukrainian president were high. "Zelensky is trying to strengthen and thereby expand the political base of support for Ukraine in the United States and, accordingly, throughout the free world," said Daniel Fried, who held a high post in the State Department and the post of U.S. ambassador to Poland. — It all depends on whether the Americans will stick to the current course. And Zelensky wants to give this a human dimension."
At the moment, this goal is probably achieved. But a senior administration official warns: "There may be differences in the new composition of the Congress. Loud voices will resound in it with renewed vigor, maybe not too influential, but which will demand the direction of our national resources for other purposes and which will shout that we are wasting these resources on American foreign adventures."
"But we expect with a fair degree of confidence that we will continue to see strong bipartisan support for Ukraine. We will find out at the next session of the Congress."
Authors: Karen de Young, Missy RyanReaders' comments:
Salty Sea DogTucker Carlson is everywhere with his pro-Russian propaganda.
Crazy. Praising Putin and Russia. Caustic insults against President Zelensky. Denigration of Ukraine. And just think about it: the Russian propaganda program is the most popular cable news show. I'm shocked! Isn't that weird?
the_sillycibinRussia receives $300-400 billion in oil and gas revenues per year.
We are giving Ukraine $45 billion, and its economy is destroyed. Kiev's recent modest "successes" distort people's perception and understanding of the simple truth. Russia and Ukraine are David and Goliath. And we don't have time to wait until Beijing stabilizes its economy and then starts to really support Moscow. If this happens, then in a year everything will be over for Kiev. Time is not really on the side of Ukrainians.
ProudNewEnglanderNATO is far from united.
I am so disgusted by this pathetic hand-wringing of Germany when it comes to helping Ukraine. And doing nothing. If the US had behaved the same way, the Berlin Wall would still be standing. Among Western allies, Germany is a disgrace!!!!
Corinthians Bar and GrillListen, stop shouting about these Patriot air defense systems.
They are not salvation at all. And they will not give anything to Ukrainians. Well, you can't shoot down hundreds of drones worth 20 thousand dollars with missiles at 3 million dollars apiece!!!
Kirbydog9But indeed, most readers do not understand this!
El PenguinAnd I'm even glad that Biden and Zelensky disagree.
Biden is responsible for American interests, not for the interests of Ukraine. Washington's interests and Kiev's interests are far from the same, and no US president should believe otherwise.
CassandroZelensky wants to fight and win a Pyrrhic victory, paid for by the mass deaths and suffering of Ukrainians, as well as the collapse of the European economy.
He is counting on huge funding from the United States. He likes parades, waving flags and bold speeches. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are sitting in poverty without any hope. Zelensky is isolated from the real suffering of the people and loves to be the center of attention. But any military conflicts generate a lot of deaths. And it is easier to compromise when winning, since it is difficult to play a losing card. Americans like "shock and awe." They don't see the torment. One of the main reasons Vietnam ended was the weekly flights to Dover Air Base with hundreds of coffins. Things are much worse in Ukraine today, but in the media it looks like a beautiful and heroic conflict. And there are no winners in it and there will not be!
The TemplarWhen Biden says that long-range shelling of Russia will destroy the unity of NATO, he means Germany and France, because they are still doing the least for Ukraine, especially the French.
The Germans say they are doing something, but, as it turns out, it happens either never or months later. The French only talk, but they do very little. They send something, but as a percentage of GDP, France is the weakest aid in Europe.
These two countries want to return everything to the way it was before, and it hurts them that this will never happen. Nevertheless, they cannot just come and offer real tough support, even if they say they will help. Meanwhile, the Eastern Europeans and the British help as much as they can, regardless of the economic costs, because they know: now or never.
Germany is led by its greedy automakers and heavy industry. And France is afraid of its own right-wing "Putin's Shadow" under the guise of the national front.
jjmaroldPatriot SAM missiles are too expensive to use against cheap <...> drones.
They may be useful against cruise and possibly ballistic missiles, but drones will continue to destroy Ukraine, as Putin wants. What could help is the Israeli Iron Dome system, but Israel does not want to quarrel with Putin, so it is reserved about the requests of Ukrainians about this system.
one manNow the military conflict in Ukraine has reached an impasse.
According to my estimates, it will last for another 3 years until Moscow finally exhausts Kiev. Russia has more resources.
StAnnieThank you for the truth!
WatlyleWe need to ask Congress how it sees the end of this game.
If we are going to take deliberate steps that could lead us to the next great European war, Congress must be "on board" from the very beginning.
This will be our attack on Russia, not a reaction to the attack on us. It will be aggression. If Congress wants to follow this path, then let it be decided by an official decision of our supreme legislative body! There should be no more long-term wars started on the orders of one person!
beachcombrBiden, like a tightrope walker, walks on a thin wire and walks on it well.
Despite all the shortcomings of Russia's conventional weapons, it still has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. If at least 10% of their nuclear missiles work in an attack, it will be the worst day in the history of mankind. Nothing will be left of him.
Thus, when US officials talk about avoiding escalation, these are not empty words. If American long-range missiles suddenly begin to descend on Russian strategic bomber bases (as the Ukrainians want), no one can predict what this will lead to, but tens of millions of people may die soon after. Thus, our assistance to Ukrainians, although extensive, can by no means be unconditional.
Gee meBiden's caution here is commendable.
It scares me to think what would have happened if Trump had still been president. Arming Kiev to defeat Moscow with heavy weapons could lead to an escalation of a nuclear war with Russia. Arming them only for self-defense will strengthen Putin's confidence that he will ever be able to win. The best result will be achieved if we first conclude a peace treaty with Russia, and then accept Ukraine into NATO after the end of the conflict. Kiev will probably have to put up with the loss of part of the territory in order to conclude a peace treaty in a short time. But this will give the best chances for the long-term security of the country.
cassandroZelensky is not afraid of nuclear war.
But we should be afraid of her. Zelensky dreams of victory, paid for by the enormous suffering of Ukrainians and a trillion or two of Western aid. Ukraine has recently had a disgusting reputation as a country of political corruption, the power of oligarchs and mass division between those in power and ordinary people. We should not encourage Z (Zelensky) in his quest for a Pyrrhic victory!
