US sees consequences of stopping assistance to Ukraine on battlefield
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the situation regarding the stopping of American aid to Ukraine has had a certain impact on the battlefield.
"So let's see in the days and weeks ahead, as this moves forward, there is no other magic pot of money. And we are now currently out of the military assistance that we've been providing to Ukraine and we're even seeing some evidence of what that means on the battlefield," Blinken said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington.
Blinken emphasised that the current funding for Ukraine's needs is important both from the US and NATO partners.
He said that the fact that the costs of aiding Ukraine are shared among all allies should send a clear message to the US Congress, which needs to approve the supplemental funding requests.
"But equally, if the United States doesn't follow through on our commitments, then it's going to make it more difficult to have Europeans and others continue to do what they've already been doing. So I think it matters a lot, more than a lot. I think it's essential that we make good on our commitments," he added.
Blinken is convinced that US allies around the world "will continue to do what they've been doing" and bipartisan support for Ukraine will remain in Congress.
He pointed out that the approval of support for Ukraine in the near future is vital.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reiterated his belief that the US Congress would approve additional funding for Ukraine despite the differences between the two parties on the issue of migration.
Prior to that, the US stated that it was necessary to make a decision on assistance to Ukraine as soon as possible, as the next few months would be critical.
According to media reports, key aides to US President Joe Biden warned at a closed-door meeting in Congress that without approval of additional military aid to Ukraine, significant difficulties could arise at the front line.