Ukraine’s inability to defeat Russia on the battlefield has fueled debate in the US about the point of sending more money to Kiev, according to British state broadcaster the BBC.
The conflict is “increasingly going Russia’s way” and the realization of Ukraine’s stated territorial objectives is “looking less and less likely,” according to an article by the broadcaster’s correspondent in the country.
In a report from the city of Zaporozhye and the nearby front line about opinions on the US presidential election,Ukrainian troops told the BBC’s correspondent they hoped that whoever wins would continue militarily supporting Kiev’.
“We’ll fight with what we have, but everyone knows Ukraine can’t do it on its own,” said one soldier, identified only as Andrey.
Kiev’s 2023 offensive resulted in “little to no progress” and the country has since “switched to survival,” the broadcaster said. “It’s this lack of battlefield progress that has made the merits of supporting Ukrainian troops like [Andrey] increasingly up for debate across the Atlantic.”
Some of the civilians the BBC spoke with in Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk), a city in the Donetsk People’s Republic under Ukrainian control, said that Kiev made a mistake by not negotiating in the first months of the conflict.
According to the British outlet, Ukraine called off the talks after “evidence of alleged Russian war crimes.” Multiple officials in Kiev have admitted, however, that the talks were scuttled at the insistence of Boris Johnson, the British prime minister at the time, who told the Ukrainians the West was not willing to make peace with Russia.
Former US president and current Republican candidate, Donald Trump, has promised to quickly end the conflict by negotiating with Moscow. His running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, has opposed any more military aid to Ukraine.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ presidential nominee, has not articulated a specific policy on Ukraine. According to the BBC, she has “suggested” military aid would continue under her administration. Should Republicans get a majority in Congress, however, approving additional funds for Kiev would become increasingly difficult. So far, the US has approved over $180 billion in aid, of which around $64 billion has been for weapons, equipment, and ammunition.
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