UK urges US to support Ukraine despite failed counteroffensive.

UK’s Top Diplomat Urges Continued Military Aid to Ukraine

Why President Joe Biden and Other Western Leaders Should Not Give Up on Ukraine

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has urged President Joe Biden and other Western leaders to continue sending military aid to Ukraine, regardless of the outcome of an expected counteroffensive. Cleverly emphasized that until the conflict is resolved properly, it is not over.

Cleverly has been vocal about the need for military aid to Ukraine, especially in recent months when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak authorized the transfer of main battle tanks to Ukraine. With Ukrainian officials anxious that an unimpressive counteroffensive might undercut their case for further aid, Cleverly urged Washington not to lapse into war fatigue.

• Cleverly traveled to the United States as European allies and Russia commemorated the end of World War II in dueling ceremonies.
• Western politicians have a reputation for calibrating their aid deliveries based on fear of Russian retaliation and a desire to back a winner.
• A failure in the effort to support Ukraine would prove “more painful and more expensive” for the West in the years to come.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken adopted a more optimistic tone about the impending counteroffensive, stating that Ukraine has what it needs to regain territory seized by Russia over the last 14 months. However, Cleverly urged Western leaders to be realistic and recognize that there might not be a simple, quick, decisive breakthrough.

Why Ukraine Needs Continued Support from the West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union’s top politician to remove the artificial political uncertainty around Ukraine’s relationship with the Western bloc. Zelensky called for a positive decision to launch negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, stating that Ukraine’s values, security, prosperity, and peace on the continent can be realized to the fullest extent for Europe only together with Ukraine.

While Western politicians have provided aid to Ukraine, they have a reputation for calibrating their aid deliveries based on fear of Russian retaliation and a desire to back a winner. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that it will be easier for Western leaders to advocate for new assistance packages to Ukraine if there are cases of success.

Why the West Must Not Give Up on Ukraine

The political pressure on aid for Ukraine has been exacerbated by high inflation over the last year, with a senior Kremlin official openly boasting that “food is our weapon” due to the world’s dependence on blockaded Ukrainian grain. Cleverly emphasized that this is part of the conflict and not a byproduct of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken dismissed the idea that there is “waning support” for Ukraine in the United States and cited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) contradiction of a Russian reporter last week as evidence that the support remains bipartisan. Cleverly argued that a failure in the effort to support Ukraine would prove “more painful and more expensive” for the West in the years to come.

“How we respond to Russia’s attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine will be viewed, and it will be viewed by observers all over the world — both state and non-state actors, and they will check to see our resolve,” Cleverly said. “If we signal to the world that we have only got about 18 months’ worth of staying power, then we create a more dangerous environment for the future.”

It is crucial for the West to continue supporting Ukraine until the conflict is resolved properly. Failure to do so would not only be detrimental to Ukraine but also to the West’s reputation and security in the years to come.