Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) greets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to their meeting in Kyiv in May. Reuters File Photo
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on an urgent journey to Brussels on Tuesday to confer with European allies on bolstering Ukraine's support before Donald Trump assumes the presidency. The senior US diplomat under the outgoing President Joe Biden will convene on Wednesday "with NATO and European Union counterparts to deliberate on backing Ukraine in its resistance against Russia's aggression," according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Trump's victory on November 5, coupled with a political turmoil in Germany, has heightened European apprehensions about the future aid to Ukraine as it grapples with Russian forces. Trump has previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned the $175 billion in US aid pledged for Ukraine since Moscow's 2022 invasion. The 78-year-old magnate has claimed he could conclude the war in a day, likely by compelling concessions from Ukraine, although his newly appointed national security advisor, Mike Waltz, suggests Trump might also exert pressure on Putin.
The Washington Post reported that Trump, shortly after his election, spoke with Putin on the phone and discouraged a Russian escalation. The Kremlin refuted this claim. The US election coincided with Ukraine preparing for the impact of thousands of North Korean troops reportedly dispatched to fight for Russia, granting Moscow a significant ground advantage.
The Biden administration is resolute in its final weeks to push through the remaining $9 billion in funding approved by Congress for weapons and security assistance to Ukraine. "Our strategy remains consistent with the past two and a half years, aiming to place Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield and ultimately at the negotiating table," stated Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, on CBS News' "Face The Nation."
Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, anticipates the US to concentrate on delivering vehicles, medical supplies, and small-arms ammunition, which Ukraine urgently requires and the US can supply. "I believe they will attempt to ship all available resources by the end of the administration," Cancian noted.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock cautioned on Monday that Putin might exploit the US post-election transition to advance his interests. "We cannot afford to wait until spring," she asserted. Both Ukraine and Moscow have experienced a surge in drone attacks. The New York Times reported that Russia has assembled 50,000 troops, including North Koreans, to dislodge Ukrainian forces that seized parts of Russia's Kursk region months ago.
During his first term, Trump aggressively urged Europe to increase defense spending and questioned the fairness of NATO, the US-backed transatlantic alliance from the Cold War era, which Biden has strongly defended. "It is certain that regardless of the US leadership's approach to Ukraine, Europe will need to step up and lead in supporting Ukraine's defense efforts and macro financial stability," remarked Olena Prokopenko of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "Regrettably, Donald Trump's victory occurs at arguably the most inopportune time for Europe's political and economic state and its capacity to coordinate swiftly," she added.
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