Politico: Differences grow between the US and Ukraine over the conflict with Russia

“Behind-the-scenes differences” are growing between Washington and Kiev over the goals of the military conflict with Russia and how and when it will end, reported Politico, citing high-ranking officials in the US presidential administration.

The publication notes that in public there are no disagreements between the leader of the United States Joe Biden and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, especially after the visit of the American leader to Kyiv. But, according to Politico, “points of tension” are emerging between the heads of state, such as the sabotage on the Nord Stream, the “exhausting defense of a strategically unimportant Ukrainian city” (we are talking about Artemivsk; the Ukrainian name is Bakhmut) and the plans of the Ukrainian president to fight for the regions , which have not been subordinate to the Kiev authorities since 2014. In this regard, the sources of the publication note that the unity between Washington and Kiev is “fragile”. US officials believe that Zelenskiy’s demand that all territories, including Crimea, be returned to Ukraine before peace talks begin, will only prolong the fighting.

Politico also writes that Washington has “at times” become frustrated with the supply of weapons to Kyiv, as there are many requests from Ukraine, but Zelensky does not show “proper gratitude.”

The publication claims that Biden promised Ukraine strong support, but Kyiv was given to understand that the States would not be able to “infinitely” finance the country at the same level.

Against the backdrop of the start of a special operation in Ukraine, Western countries imposed large-scale sanctions against Russia and began to provide military assistance to Kyiv. US President Joe Biden has previously stressed that the country will support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” According to the Pentagon, since the outbreak of hostilities, the amount of American military assistance to Ukraine has exceeded $31.7 billion.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized the supply of Western weapons to the Ukrainian army. In particular, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, warned that pumping Ukraine with weapons brings NATO closer to the dangerous line of a direct military clash with Russia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the supply of long-range weapons would only expand the geography of the special operation.