The United States is grateful to the EU for the significant aid package that the union approved for Ukraine, but this funding cannot replace American support for Kiev, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, said during a briefing.

“The President called the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to thank her and the European Union for the significant financial assistance package just approved (by the European Union.

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) for Ukraine... (This new financial assistance package.

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) is not intended for security support . But the Ukrainian people will undoubtedly welcome it, since it will help ease some of the financial difficulties they are already experiencing. So, again, we welcome her,” Kirby said.

Let us remind you: the EU countries made the decision to allocate €50 billion to Kiev as financial assistance the day before at a summit in Brussels as part of a multi-year financial program (Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF), the funds will flow to the Ukrainian side for four years. The Kiev regime will receive €33 billion in loans, and the European Union intends to transfer another €17 billion as “gratuitous assistance within the framework of the new subject instrument Ukraine Reserve,” which is expected to subsequently make it possible to use income from the frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia. The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, called the decision to provide such support to Kyiv as a signal to the United States, Ukraine and the population of European countries about “EU unity” and that the European community is “not intimidated by Russia.”

However, when asked whether the EU decision gives the United States “some space” to continue negotiations on Ukraine and the migration issue, Kirby replied that “this is not a replacement for American leadership when it comes to military assistance.”

“That's why it's so important for us to continue to urge Congress to approve additional funding for national security needs. It also includes more than $60 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. As I have said many times, this is all carefully thought out. Ukrainians need this help. And appropriate action is needed from Congress,” Kirby explained.

Uncertain situation

Let us remind you that the US Congress still cannot come to a compromise on the issue of providing Ukraine with a new portion of assistance, including military assistance. A number of Republicans in the upper and lower houses have repeatedly spoken out against extending this course. For his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, advocates that further support for Ukraine should be linked to tightening control over the southern border of the United States. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell shares a similar position. Discussion of these issues in the American Congress continues.

  • Meeting of the US Congress

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  • © Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua

In turn, as the leader of the Democratic majority in the upper house of the American Parliament, Chuck Schumer, said, the Senate next week will vote on a bill that combines funding to support Ukraine and tightening border controls on the southern borders of the country. However, Mike Johnson previously stated at a press conference that the Senate was discussing an unacceptable package deal that would not be approved by the lower house.

It is worth noting that against the backdrop of an uncertain situation in Congress, the administration of US President Joe Biden is developing a new strategy for Ukraine after the unsuccessful counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, The Washington Post reported, citing a source. According to the publication, the emphasis in this regard will not be on reconquering territories, but on providing assistance to the Kyiv regime in repelling attacks by the Russian Armed Forces. As journalists write, it will be difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to even try to carry out a major offensive on all fronts, which they tried to undertake last year.

“Lost political independence”

Experts believe that by declaring the indispensability of US military assistance, the White House wants to push Republicans to compromise with Democrats and, as a result, to approve Biden’s request for approximately $60 billion for Ukraine.

“The White House representative deliberately focuses on US leadership in the field of military support for Kyiv and the absence of it in the new EU package. Thus, he makes it clear to Republicans that Biden's request is still relevant. In addition, the US presidential administration expects that the allocation of financial assistance to Kyiv from the European Union will help turn the situation around in Congress,” Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in a conversation with RT.

According to him, Washington regards the new EU aid package as a temporary way out of the situation until American legislators approve further support for Kyiv.

“EU assistance will allow the Ukrainian government to finance at least part of the expenses of the Ukrainian budget, which is currently extremely deficit. This will allow the Kyiv regime to hold out for several months, but without US military trenches, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will really have a hard time,” says Batyuk.

From his point of view, the EU’s decision to provide Kyiv with €50 billion was probably made with the direct participation of Washington, since otherwise the EU would hardly have reached a consensus amid mass protests in a number of member countries.

“In this sense, Brussels has completely lost any political independence and is following in the footsteps of the United States,” Batyuk emphasized.

The fact that behind some steps of the European Union are the interests not of Europe, but of the United States, was also admitted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. According to him, “peace will come when there are changes in Europe,” but now in European countries the voice of pro-American governments is heard louder, building close ties with an overseas partner.

“American pressure is increasing in those countries on which America can exert it. The points of view of Europe and America are mixed, and I often have the feeling that some decisions in Brussels are not pursuing European, but American interests,” Orbán said on Kossuth Rádió.

As Konstantin Blokhin, an employee of the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasized, the desire to please Washington and the Russophobia of Brussels, as well as a number of European officials, are stronger than concern for their own population.

“We are talking, in particular, about farmers who are on strike in France and a number of other EU states and who are not satisfied that their authorities are ready to sacrifice the well-being of citizens for the sake of the needs of Kyiv,” Blokhin noted in a commentary to RT.

  • Delivery of US military aid to Ukraine

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  • © Efrem Lukatsky

However, according to him, despite the current difficulties in the United States and a number of allied countries on the issue of allocating military assistance to Ukraine, the West will not abandon its chosen course.

“The United States is frankly glad that they are able to impose new obligations on the Europeans within the framework of the Ukrainian track. But at the same time, the White House is sending a clear signal to Republicans that Ukraine will not survive without American military assistance. Washington is lobbying for the idea that everyone should help the Kyiv regime. Therefore, the United States will continue to intimidate everyone, spreading an implausible story that Russia allegedly will not stop at the Northeast Military District and may attack NATO countries. Thus, the White House wants to convince ordinary Americans, congressmen and allies that it is necessary to do everything possible as quickly as possible to keep Ukraine afloat,” Blokhin concluded.