By Venkatesh Raghavan
US announces $350 million additional military assistance for Ukraine
The Russian offensive on Ukraine continued, with intensified street battles and many Ukrainians fleeing their homes, turning into refugees in the face of a grim war situation that threatened their lives and livelihoods. While Ukraine officials reported that they were willing to negotiate and settle for a peaceful resolution, Russians countered that the conflict continued on Saturday afternoon since talks broke down and the Ukrainian side failed to respond.
Dmitry Peskov from the Kremlin accused Ukraine of backing out of talks and blamed the renewed offensive on its refusal to negotiate. Reports pouring in from Russian ally Ramzan Kadyrov of Chechnya stated that their troops were fighting on Ukrainian soil and the only reason Kyiv is still in Ukraine’s possession is Russia’s concern about averting mass loss of life.
The Ukrainian state officials countered Russian charges of intransigence and stated, “We were willing to negotiate over the table. However, Russia’s demands were impractical and rendered it impossible for us to consent.” Amidst the melee of trading charges, the Russian military claimed that the south-eastern city of Melitopol is under its control.
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The Ukrainian side claimed that the Russian troops have inflicted 200 casualties that included civilian deaths. Fearing more casualties, the focus on the refugee situation surfaced after UN observers reported that more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled in the face of Moscow’s mounting offensive. The Ukrainian President, Volodymvr Zelenkskyy has vowed to fight and defend to the end and said, “There is no question of surrender.”
Meanwhile, preparations for countering the Russian offensive were on the way, with NATO alliance countries planning to deploy commando units to all of Ukraine’s bordering nations. Stating thousands of commandos are fighting ready for the cause, the Western bloc also emphasized imposing severe economic sanctions against Russia and also its president Vladimir Putin.
The USA today announced additional military assistance for Ukraine. The US Secretary of State Antoni J. Blinken said today he authorized ‘an unprecedented” third Presidential Drawdown of up to $350 million for immediate support to Ukraine’s defence as Ukraine fights “with courage and pride against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked assault”. This brings the total security assistance the United States has committed to Ukraine over the past year to more than $1 billion.
Last fall, as the present threat against Ukraine from Russia developed, under authority delegated by the US President, Blinken had authorized the Department of Defense to provide $60 million in immediate military assistance to Ukraine. In December 2021, as that threat materialized, he had authorized a further drawdown worth $200 million.
Blinken said the latest package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armoured, airborne, and other threats it is now facing.
“It is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,” Blinken stated.
European Union countries expressed solidarity with Ukraine and said funds will be allocated to Ukraine for purposes of reconstruction. A Polish spokesman said a way is being paved for helping Ukraine join the European Union. The Twitter handle called for immediate grant of membership and all logistic support to the beleaguered country.
The tit-for-tat strategic decisions that centre on airspace permissions have caused Russia to bar flights from Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic in retaliation. Also visible was the Ukrainian president’s efforts to mobilize support from Turkey in a bid to prevent the movement of Russian warships across the Black sea. The European Union states were unanimous in extending all support to the Ukraine government and military for combating the military might of Russia.
This, however, does little or nothing to change the situation on the ground as Ukrainian citizens continue to live in fear and feel anxious about the safety of their lives.
Meanwhile New Delhi today said that it was closely monitoring global energy markets as well as potential energy supply disruptions as a fall out of the evolving geopolitical situation. “With a view to ensuring energy justice for its citizens and for just energy transition towards a net zero future, India stands ready to take appropriate action for ensuring ongoing supplies at stable prices,” India’s Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, stated. It added that India was also committed to supporting initiatives for releases from Strategic Petroleum Reserves, for mitigating market volatility and calming the rise in crude oil prices.
