JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S., Allies Seek Long-Term Military Aid for Ukraine to Show West’s Resolve” – WSJ
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“Weapons shortages, domestic political pressures hamper Western efforts.”
“The [U.S.] and … European allies are laying plans for long-term military assistance to Ukraine to ensure Russia won’t be able to win on the battlefield and persuade the Kremlin that Western support … won’t waver. The effort, building on [G7] commitments … on the sidelines of … [July’s NATO] summit … so far involves bilateral negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine and the U.K. and Ukraine. About 18 non-G-7 countries have signed up to the group’s pledge to provide long-term assistance to Kyiv, including the Netherlands, Sweden and other European countries. The goal is to make sure Ukraine will be strong enough in the future to deter Russia from attacking it again. … Ukraine’s Western allies hope to discourage the Kremlin from thinking it can wait out the Biden administration for a potentially more sympathetic successor …. If Washington were to significantly scale back its support … Europe is unlikely to be financially or militarily capable of … clos[ing] the gap. [Europe] faces tight fiscal pressures and few countries have defense industries able to match U.S. firepower. …”