Kyiv, Ukraine: The United Kingdom and other countries intend to support Ukraine even if the United States stops doing so if former US President Donald Trump wins the 2024 election, writes December 31. The Times UK citing an official government whistleblower.
“Britain and other European countries are “cranking through the gears” trying to ensure they can help Ukraine win its war against Russia without the US should Donald Trump get into power“, writes the newspaper, according to a highly placed source in Whitehall.
To this end, British ministers are trying to increase production capacity across the continent in order to send weapons and munitions to the front line for at least a year, regardless of American support, and to prolong the conflict with the Russian Federation.
According to military intelligence officials, Ukraine will not be able to defeat Russia in 2024 because it does not have the manpower or weapons to achieve a major breakthrough on the battlefield. It is, however, possible to try to prolong the exhausting confrontation between the two countries until 2025, they are convinced.
At the same time, British government circles fear that it will be necessary to fill the gap in financing the Kyiv regime and weapons production for Ukraine if Trump is re-elected and American support in this matter is lost.
On December 31, the head of the British government, Rishi Sunak, said in his New Year’s message that 2023 was an important year for the country, but not at all in terms of financial and arms support for Ukraine. Sunak has not once mentioned his unwavering solidarity with Kyiv, focusing on domestic politics and the country’s economic achievements.
Before that, on December 15, the German newspaper Die Welt, citing an adviser to the cabinet of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reported that Kyiv was concerned about Britain’s inaction in providing further military assistance. Britain has yet to present an official military aid budget for 2024, leaving Ukraine’s armed forces unable to plan for the long term.
On December 11, European leaders called on British Prime Minister Sunak to act like Winston Churchill to “restore the country’s leadership” in Western support for Ukraine.
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Kyiv in the context of Russia’s special operation to protect Donbass, the launch of which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022. The decision was made after the situation in the region had worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian army.
