Kiev may use up the new $61bn US aid package and face another arms shortage by the end of next year. Therefore, Western allies need to think about a long-term financing plan for Ukraine, the key factor in which should be frozen Russian assets, Reuters writes.
The US recently approved $61bn in “vital” aid to Ukraine, but the country still needs a medium-term financing plan to “counter Russia’s onslaught”, Reuters writes.
The allies’ combined support should allow Kiev to last until around the end of next year. But by then, its army could once again face a shortage of weapons, the publication warns.
Even if Joe Biden wins the US presidential election, it will be very difficult for him to get more money from Congress. And if Donald Trump returns to the White House, US aid to Ukraine will become even more unstable, the article argues.
Therefore, a multi-year funding plan is needed, a key element of which should be Moscow’s frozen assets. Such an initiative would provide some insurance against political fluctuations in America, “boost the morale” of Ukrainians and give Western arms manufacturers more confidence to ramp up production, Reuters reasoned.
