Biden calls allies and partners to address concerns over Ukraine support

Europe, News, US October 4, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. President Joe Biden held a call with his allies and partners, including those from the European Union and NATO on October 3, 2023. During his call, President Biden reassured his country’s support towards Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion amid the ongoing episode of financial and political crisis in Washington.

According to the White House, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President Charles Michel of the European Council, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak, and the Foreign Minister of France Catherine Colonna held a phone call with the U.S. President.

The White House statement said that the call was coordinated to ensure ongoing support for the “people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal invasion.” The statement added that “President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with fellow leaders echoing their commitments.”

The call was aimed to address the rising concerns about the U.S. political factions and their grievance about the Pentagon’s resource allocation for Ukraine. The Congressional support for Ukraine has dropped significantly in recent times, largely due to the opposition from the Republican hardliners.

The same hardliners also axed Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a rebellion. Biden administration and the Democrat faction in the U.S. Congress are pushing forward to approve a new bill to solidify Washington’s support for Ukraine, despite the looming threat of a government shutdown.

*^{U.S. Capitol in Washington, United States, January 22, 2018. (Image Credit: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)}*

“The president reaffirmed the strong commitment of the United States to supporting Ukraine as it defends itself for as long as it takes, as did every other leader on the call,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a press briefing at the White House following the call.

“The leaders discussed efforts to continue providing Ukraine with the ammunition and the weapon systems that it needs to defend its territory, and to continue strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses as they prepare for more attacks on critical infrastructure,” he added.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who visited Kyiv earlier this week and assured the Ukrainian President of unwavering support, welcomed the call and the fact that Allies are sharing the burden equitably. A statement released by NATO said that around half of the military support pledged for Ukraine came from the U.S. and the other half from European Allies and Canada.

The call came a day after the foreign ministers of the European Union gathered in Kyiv to convene an unprecedented summit outside of the EU. The meeting addressed the rising issue of war fatigue that is settling in and resulting in depleting funds for Ukraine from the Western allies. Political factions from several Western countries have raised concerns about funding the Ukraine war at the expense of the financial crisis.

^{Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU foreign ministers pose for a picture during the EU-Ukraine foreign ministers meeting, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 2, 2023. (Image Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)}

The narrative has become more prevalent in several Western countries and has started to affect the local elections and the formation of leadership. Slovakia’s pro-Russian former Prime Minister Robert Fico won the elections by using the same argument during his campaign. With Washington falling deeper into a financial crisis, several observers and analysts believe that Kyiv would face difficulties in gathering support to fund its war against the Russian invasion in the coming few months.