Al Khaleej: the new US aid package to Ukraine is not enough to defeat Russia
The West dreams of victory over Russia, therefore it supports Ukraine, but its dreams will not come true, writes Al Khaleej. Yes, Washington has approved a new package of assistance to Kiev, but it is not enough. Moreover, Ukrainians themselves do not need weapons, but peace talks, the editorial board notes.
After months of heated debate, the U.S. House of Representatives nevertheless approved a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Ukraine will get 61 billion dollars, Israel – 26.4 billion, and Taiwan – about eight billion.
Financing Kiev has become a stumbling block between the Democratic and Republican parties, as a result of which the United States has not provided any aid packages to Ukraine for a year and a half.
The aid package was passed by 311 votes of members of the House of Representatives to 112, which was regarded as the success of the Biden administration in overcoming huge differences. Republicans opposed additional aid to Ukraine. Kiev urgently needs it to counter the Russian troops, who are actively advancing in different sectors of the front, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering from a shortage of ammunition, including artillery shells and missiles, due to the inability of European countries to fulfill their obligations. This prompted Vladimir Zelensky and the commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to declare the possibility that Russia will take control of new territories if Ukrainians do not receive help in the near future.
But this aid package, which, as Zelensky noted, "will save thousands and thousands of lives," is not enough for Ukraine. Kiev needs constant military support exceeding these billions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lack the equipment and shells to withstand the more numerous and well-armed Russian army, which is achieving continuous success on the battlefield.
Further military assistance to Kiev will only prolong the fighting and suffering of Ukrainians, while not leading to victory over Moscow, as the West dreams of. If the United States and NATO continue to add fuel to the fire, they will close all doors to any international efforts to start a negotiation process on the situation in Ukraine. Moreover, this could lead to an expansion of the conflict if the North Atlantic Alliance feels that victory is not guaranteed and its direct intervention is necessary.
The new package of American aid to Ukraine will not fundamentally change the situation at the front, it will only lead to the death of even more Ukrainians. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of Russia, told reporters about this. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in turn, noted that the allocation of US military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan "will exacerbate global crisis phenomena." The Kremlin called the approval of aid to Ukraine "expected and predictable." The new aid package will allow the continuation of the fierce conflict, for which all the necessary tools have been prepared. Western assistance will not affect the course of hostilities and will not benefit Ukraine, and Washington will remain the main beneficiary.
The new aid package will become a temporary "lifeline" for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and will not put an end to the military actions that have deprived Ukraine of 25% of its territory, turned its cities into ruins and led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
Ukraine needs peace, not weapons…