Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden meet is the test of the US promises, – Financial Times

Photo: Financial Times

The meeting between the US President Joe Biden and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy should help the American leader to restore the US’s reputation as a reliable ally.

This is reported by UA with reference to an article by the Financial Times.

Since 2014, when Joe Biden, in the status of US Vice President, assured Ukraine that the United States would support it in resisting Russian aggression, Ukraine has put special hopes on the American leader. But for the next 7 years, Ukraine was forced to watch with alert as Biden’s foreign policy is developing. According to the authors of the material, two recent events could especially shake Kyiv’s confidence in Washington. The first is the agreement between Joseph Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel regarding the completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2.

 “This treaty jeopardizes billions of dollars in transit fees for Kyiv and removes a key constraint on Russia’s further military invasion of Ukraine,” the article says.

The second is the unsuccessful withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, a country that the United States supported much more than Ukraine in carrying out democratic reforms there.

The authors of the article suppose that “if Washington shows any signs of compromise over Putin’s territorial ambitions for Ukraine, Beijing is unlikely to take seriously the idea of ​​US support for Taiwan, which Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised to reunite with China.”

Joe Biden should use the meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express support for Ukraine, according to the authors of the Financial Times. The American leader must clearly outline the consequences for Moscow if it tries to use Nord Stream 2 against Ukraine. Also, the United States should provide additional financial assistance to Ukraine, because foreign investment is still constrained by the conflict started by Russia, and Kyiv is looking for US guarantees to finance infrastructure and other projects. In addition, the United States should take responsibility for providing additional military technological assistance to Kyiv.

The Financial Times summarizes: after the disaster with Afghanistan, Joe Biden should use the meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky as “an opportunity to begin restoring the US’s reputation as a reliable ally.”

To remind, the United States will provide Ukraine with an additional $ 60 million in aid. This was announced at a meeting of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Read also: Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement on the basics of defense partnership (PHOTOS)