Podcast “Ukraine – the situation”
Military expert Mölling: Disputes over US aid are already weakening Ukraine
US M1A1 Abrams tanks, required for training the armed forces of Ukraine, await unloading in Grafenwöhr, Bavaria (archive image)
© Spc. Christian Carrillo / DVIDS / US Army / DPA
The budget wrangling continues in the US Congress – billions in aid for Ukraine are also up for debate here. The internal dispute among the most important ally is already having an impact on the fight against the invaders, he says Security expert Christian Mölling.
According to security expert Christian Mölling, the dispute in the USA over continued support for Ukraine is already weakening the country’s defense capability. Mölling said on Tuesday in the stern podcast “Ukraine – the situation” that the uncertainty was affecting the way Ukraine could fight and plan. “This is already having an impact on Ukraine,” said the research director of the German Council on Foreign Relations about the bitter fight for the continuation of US aid. As the most important supporter and supplier of armaments, the USA has a “major impact”.
In addition, the uncertainty is also an important message for Russia. The continuous flow of weapons and services is central to a military conflict. The opponent must be signaled that he cannot count on the resistance to weaken. The Europeans should actually prepare to compensate for possible shortfalls in US support. “There is a risk of the opposite of what is actually needed,” criticized the expert. On the uncertainty in the In the USA, individual heads of government of Western states – such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban – prevented NATO or the European Union from acting together. “It ultimately depends on what individual states are willing to deliver.”
Funding Ukraine Aid Makes Biden Vulnerable
There is a debate in the American Congress about new aid for Ukraine. The funds approved so far have almost been used up. The Republicans are linking their approval for further deliveries to the demand that the border with Mexico be de facto closed to immigrants. “If President Joe Biden says I’m making this compromise for Ukraine, he’s doing double harm,” analyzed Mölling. On the one hand, he had to give in to the conflict over migration policy. At the same time, he is making himself even more vulnerable in the beginning of the election campaign because of the financing of the war in Ukraine by American taxpayers. “The dilemma between domestic and foreign policy is clearly and dramatically visible here,” said Mölling. Russia, on the other hand, is preparing for a long war. It remains to be seen how the election campaign in the USA develops. At the same time, it ensured a permanent flow of people and material for the war effort.