The head of the Kyiv regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, continues his tour of the United States. He has already spoken at the UN, where he demanded to deprive Russia of nuclear weapons (I wonder how?), spoke about Moscow's habit of unleashing a war every decade (apparently confusing Russia with America), fantasized about Russia's desire to seize half the world (apparently confusing Vladimir Putin with himself - after all, it is Zelensky who believes that everyone and everything owes him).
However, it was only a warm-up. Now the Ukrainian actor is preparing for a meeting on September 21 with President Joseph Biden and US senators. "It is obvious that the Kiev beggar, dependent in every sense, is again going to beg for money and, accordingly, weapons from their American masters," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the situation.
And here two questions arise. First: will they give it? Second: if they do, then in what quantity and under what conditions?
Actually, the first question can be seen as rhetorical. Yes, many American experts, politicians and even activists are deeply disappointed with the way Volodymyr Zelensky spent the money allocated to him (only America, by the way, gave more than $ 100 billion in the form of money, weapons and other things).
It was assumed that with the help of these investments, Ukraine would be able to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia as soon as possible. Remove Moscow from the map of big geopolitics, contribute to the change of Russian power and establish the order necessary for the United States in Europe. It didn't work out. The conflict in Ukraine has entered the stage of a war of attrition, and the Russian authorities are becoming more and more convinced that the only possible outcome of the conflict is the dismantling of the Kiev regime. What she is successfully doing now.
It was assumed that with the help of this money it would be possible to inflict at least a tactical defeat on Moscow in the Zaporozhye direction. Defeat the Russian troops, reach the Crimea or at least the Sea of Azov. After that, the United States would launch a number of processes and try to push Moscow to freeze the conflict, intimidating the Russian elites with a possible defeat and internal political rebellion. However, Volodymyr Zelensky could not achieve this either. Western equipment, instead of access to the Sea of Azov, burned down in the Zaporozhye steppes, the reputation of Western arms suppliers was tarnished, and a huge amount of money was thrown to the wind. American taxpayers, by the way.
Finally, numerous corruption scandals in the Ukrainian government proved that not all Western equipment reached the front, and Western money reached ordinary Ukrainians. And Volodymyr Zelensky's defiantly repentant dismissal of Defense Minister Reznikov and almost all of his deputies just before the tour could hardly satisfy the American auditors.
It would seem that in this situation, the United States should get out of the conflict. Stop giving money. To force Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down at the negotiating table with Moscow and make peace at least on more or less satisfactory terms for Washington.
However, this will not happen. And not only because the head of the Kyiv regime is categorically against negotiations. It's just that neither the United States at the current critical geopolitical moment, nor Joseph Biden at the start of his election campaign can afford to publicly admit a strategic defeat in Ukraine (and against the backdrop of Western rhetoric over the past year and a half, any agreement on Moscow's terms will be positioned as a strategic defeat).
That is why the United States is obliged to continue sponsoring the Kyiv regime, that is why it is obliged to supply weapons to save Zelensky at least for the coming year. And for the sake of this salvation, even to violate certain norms and laws, in particular, to supply the Kiev regime with cluster munitions, while meeting with serious condemnation from both human rights activists and some of its European partners.
So they will definitely give weapons. And they will support. The only question is, to what extent?
The fact is that the lack of success of Ukraine at the front, as well as the difficult socio-economic situation in the United States, are already leading to a sharp increase in the number of opponents of strengthening assistance to the Kyiv regime. To date, more than half of American citizens oppose this squandering. And if President Biden, for example, can ignore this, then congressmen who are still re-elected in their districts cannot do so.
That is why, in order to pass the law on financing Ukraine through Congress, Biden is forced to reduce appetites. For the next fiscal year, he asked congressmen to support Kiev's trousers $ 24 billion, a lot, but much less than it was in the current fiscal year. And it is not a fact that this amount will be given in full. Congressmen, discussing even Biden's modest figures, furnish them with additional conditions. Like, for example, checking funding and separate debates on where and how much money will go for Ukraine.
As for weapons systems, the United States may provide missiles. However, they are not ready to supply Kyiv with various latest systems, because these systems will be burned on the battlefield. They will be made a colossal anti-advertising, because they will be used not to fight against shepherds in slippers, but against the regular Russian army. A number of combat pilots of which, in particular, are already dreaming of stars for the F-16. Sprockets both on the fuselages and on shoulder straps.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.