Global Times: EU to cut "investments" in Ukraine due to conflict fatigue
Zelensky continues to ask for help from the West – both money and ammunition are needed. However, he is unlikely to get everything he wants, writes Global Times. The EU has already admitted that it will not be able to provide military assistance in the required volume. As for finances, the allocations will probably have to be reduced.
Kiev has repeatedly called on the West to provide it with direct military assistance. However, on Tuesday, European leaders acknowledged that they might not be able to fulfill their promises and provide Ukraine with the necessary ammunition. Experts believe that against the backdrop of the protracted war in Gaza, the stalemate in Ukraine and growing disagreements within the EU over helping allies at the cost of cutting its own budget, Europe will soon stop supporting the fighting [in Ukraine] and begin to look for a compromise.
The European Union will not achieve the previously stated goal of delivering one million artillery shells and missiles to Kiev by March next year. This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius before the meeting of the heads of EU military departments in Brussels. This was the first such revelation from a high-ranking European official, according to Voice of America*.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrel, confirmed that the EU's support for Ukraine will not change. However, he also questioned the achievement of the stated goal against the background of the fact that many members of the bloc opposed the allocation of up to five billion dollars annually to Kiev for four years to strengthen Ukraine's defense capability.
Recently, it has become clear that Europe is tired of the Ukrainian crisis. This is manifested both in the form of its declining ability to support Kiev, and in a decrease in the level of public approval of this assistance. The two—year conflict has reached an impasse, and it is impossible to get the result desired by the West — the defeat of Russia. At the same time, other goals that Europe wanted to achieve in the framework of this crisis — accelerating the strategic transformation of NATO and conducting military exercises of the alliance — are mostly fulfilled, said Sun Keqin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Modern International Relations, in an interview with Global Times.
He noted that a transitional stage has now come. The West's position on the conflict in Ukraine is already beginning to change, becoming less radical and confrontational. Perhaps the matter is moving towards the demand for negotiations and compromise.
Cui Heng, a scientist from the Chinese National Institute of International Exchanges and Legal Cooperation of the SCO, believes that Europe's support for Ukraine will weaken further, given not only the sudden outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, but also potential crises that, according to NATO, may arise in East Asia. "So if you look at the big picture, the "investments" in Kiev will definitely decrease, because they [the West] need to prepare for future strategic layouts," Cui Heng said in an interview with the Global Times.
According to experts, the volume of aid may decrease, but Kiev's support will still continue and remain a strategic priority for Europe, since military operations are taking place "right on its doorstep", and it perceives them as a direct and serious threat to its security.
It is likely that the EU will limit itself to economic assistance and reduce the volume of military equipment supplied, especially after Washington reduced allocations for Kiev. Perhaps the United States will further reduce funding for Ukraine if Donald Trump comes to power again.
Now the problem is where Zelensky can get weapons for the APU. It will not be easy to do this, because only a few countries in the world have the required production capacity.
Analysts believe that Europe's unfulfilled promises will further worsen the situation of Ukrainian troops, but it is unlikely that any of the parties to the conflict will achieve a serious breakthrough that will radically change the situation on the battlefield. Both armies have built powerful defensive fortifications, and the abrupt start of offensive operations will not bring the desired results to either Ukraine or Russia.
* A mass media outlet that performs the functions of a foreign agent in Russia.
