Russia notes falling U.S. support for Ukraine, says Kremlin

Reuters
Wed, December 13, 2023

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 

(Reuters) - Russia is watching as U.S. military support for Ukraine declines and Kyiv suffers setbacks on the battlefield, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in interviews made public on Wednesday.

Peskov was speaking to Russian media after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy completed talks in Washington to secure more than $60 billion in new military assistance, held up by disputes in Congress.

"The Kyiv regime promised them that if you give us $100 billion, we will have a victory on the battlefield," Peskov told the daily Izvestia.


"The Americans now understand that they were duped. There is no victory on the battlefield and, to be sure, Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing their positions. This is an inevitable process."

Americans, Peskov said, "are truly in the first instance beginning to ask themselves the question: just what are they spending this money on?"

With substantial funding up in the air, Peskov referred to Biden's announcement of a $200 million aid allocation, saying it was "quite a modest sum in their thinking".

"This of course puts the Kyiv regime in difficulty and we are going to be following this situation," he said.

Twenty-one months into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and a year after Ukraine regained large chunks of occupied territory, the front lines have changed little in recent weeks. Zelenskiy rejects any notion that the war is in a stalemate but acknowledges that a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in June with Western support has made limited progress.

Peskov, interviewed by the Russia 24 television channel, said Ukraine had promised "phenomenal victories" in the counteroffensive launched as spring weather improved.

"But the snow went away and nothing happened. And the snow fell again and still there is nothing. And Americans are asking, should they still be doing this?" Peskov said.

Biden told Zelenskiy during talks on Tuesday that he would not walk away from Ukraine and nor would the American people.

U.S. lawmakers pursued debate on Wednesday on the question of providing aid to Ukraine and Israel, with Republicans tying both issues to a U.S. border security deal.

Zelenskiy's visit to Washington ended with no commitment for more U.S. support for Ukraine. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, would not agree to support Biden's request to give Ukraine $61.4 billion.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski)


Biden to Republicans – ‘If you’re being celebrated by Russian propagandists, time for a rethink’

The New Voice of Ukraine
Wed, December 13, 2023 

Joe Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden criticized lawmakers from the Republican Party for blocking additional funding to Ukraine, he said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, on Dec. 13.

The U.S. will continue to supply Ukraine with critically important weapons and equipment, but this requires additional funding, Biden said.

Read also: We need to approve aid so that Putin continues to fail in Ukraine - Biden


“Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong,” he said.

“Russia and Russian loyalists in Moscow celebrated when when Republicans voted to block Ukraine's Aid last week,” said Biden.

“The host of a Kremlin run show literally said and I quote ‘well done Republicans. That's good for us.’ If you're being celebrated by Russian propagandists, it might be time to rethink what you're doing,” added Biden.

Read also: ‘Ukraine will become a member of NATO when all allies agree, and conditions are met’ – Biden

Zelensky arrived in the U.S. on Dec. 11., having previously attended the inauguration of Argentina's new president Javier Milei. This is the third visit of the Ukrainian president to Washington in the last year.

Zelenskyy’s first visit to Washington since the beginning of the invasion occurred in Dec. 2022. Zelenskyy visited the White House with First Lady Olena Zelenska as part of a tour of North America in Sept. 2023.

The Ukrainian President also gave a speech at the U.S. National Defense University, held talks with top U.S. military leadership and heads of American defense companies, met with senators, and Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.