West ‘weary’ of supporting Ukraine, as US aid at stake

West will tire of supporting Ukraine – Kremlin

The Kremlin claimed on Monday that “weariness” about assisting Ukraine will increase in the West, amid a meeting by EU foreign ministers in Kyiv seeking to prove the opposite. 

“Weariness of [the] completely absurd support for the Kyiv regime will increase in different countries, particularly in the United States,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The future of US aid to Kyiv is up in the air after it was left out of a temporary budget deal to avoid a shutdown in Washington. 

Peskov said he expected the US would “continue to be involved” in the Ukraine war “directly”. 

But war fatigue in the West will create more “divisions in the political establishment” and lead to “contradictions”, he claimed. 

His statement comes as the EU foreign ministers held a “historic meeting” in Kyin on Monday, aimed at expressing their “solidarity” with Ukraine, which ultimately aims to join the bloc. 

Faced with a slow Ukrainian counteroffensive and fears of declining Western support, French Minister Catherine Colonna said the gathering intended to show Moscow it “must not count” on the “weariness” of the EU. 

Kyiv strikes deals with French arms manufacturers

Several French defence companies have concluded supply contracts with Ukraine during a forum organised in Kyiv last week, AFP reported on Monday. 

Nexter, the French branch of the Franco-German group KNDS, will supply six additional Caesar cannons, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Mounted on a truck, the Caesar can fire 155mm shells up to 40 kilometres away. 

Arquus, another French manufacturer, struck a deal to maintain and produce certain armoured vehicle parts, of which France sold more than 100 units to Ukraine. 

CEFA will provide eight SDZ heavy mine clearance robots as well as eight amphibious vehicles for crossing water. 

The company Delair, which concluded a contract this summer to supply 150 surveillance drones, has received a new order for 150 more units, according to its president Bastien Mancini.

Thales and Turgis & Gaillard have also each signed an agreement with Ukrainian companies to co-develop drones, while the company Vistory will install a 3D printing centre in Ukraine to produce spare parts.

How the contracts will be financed has not been announced, AFP reported it was possibly thanks to French subsidies.

Future of US aid to Ukraine at stake

Further military funding for Kyiv has been excluded from a last-minute budget deal in Washington. 

President Joe Biden reassured Ukraine the US would continue to support its war effort against Russia, despite the temporary measure that was pushed through Congress to avoid a government shutdown. 

Funding for Ukraine has become increasingly politicised in the US, with hardline Republicans arguing they do not want to write a “blank check” for Kyiv.

Biden and the Democrats argue Washington has a duty to help Ukraine resist the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, they warn, autocrats would be emboldened in the future.

Doubts now hang over US military assistance, with repercussions on the ground feared thousands of kilometres away.

“This should worry leaders in Kyiv,” said analyst Brett Bruen. “I think in Moscow they are celebrating signals that our support may be waning.” 

Ukraine is already concerned about the possible re-election of Donald Trump, who has previously praised Putin.

Democrats said Saturday they expected a separate measure on aid to Ukraine in the coming days.

The US has already supplied some $ 46 billion (€43 billion) in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Biden wants to send another $24 billion (€23 billion).

Behind all this political wrangling in the US lies another problem: War fatigue. Faced with biting inflation, US voters are growing increasingly sceptical. 

An ABC/Washington Post poll released September 24 showed that 41% of respondents thought Washington was doing too much to support Ukraine, up from 33% in February and 14% in April 2022.

Ukraine will not give in, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president said in a speech on Sunday that his country will remain resolute against Russia, one day after US Congress passed a budget deal that left out military aid for Kyiv.  

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a pre-recorded speech did not directly mention the US move but maintained nothing would not weaken his country’s resolve. 

No one would diminish Ukraine’s bravery and strength, he said, adding the country would only lay down arms on the day of victory. 

“As we draw closer to it every day, we say, ‘We will fight for as long as it takes,'” said the Ukrainian leader. 

No plans to send British troops to Ukraine – UK PM

Rishi Sunak has said there are no plans to deploy British military forces in Ukraine after his defence minister suggested troop trainers could be sent to the country. 

The UK and its Western allies have not formally put boots on the ground in Ukraine fearing escalating conflict with Russia. 

However, leaked classified documents in April purported to show special forces from the UK and other NATO countries were deployed inside the country. 

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, British defence minister Grant Shapps – appointed to the role last month – said he wanted to send military instructors to Ukraine, while also training the Ukrainian army in Britain. 

Sunak rowed back on this hours after the interview was published, saying there were no immediate plans to deploy British troops. 

“What the defence secretary was saying was that it might well be possible one day in the future for us to do some of that training in Ukraine,” Sunak told reporters. “But that’s something for the long term, not the here and now. 

“There are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday said any British soldier in Ukraine would be legitimate target for Russian forces.