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News Brief – Sept 6, 2023

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Kiev on Wednesday Sept. 6, in what is seen as a reaffirmation of the Biden administration’s pledge to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

As part of that, Blinken is expected to pledge to provide Ukraine with a further $1 billion in aid.

Blinken’s pledge will go some way reassuring some NATO members who were growing increasingly nervous over the slow pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Over the past three months, bolstered by heavy armour from various Western countries, Ukraine has managed to accomplish only limited gains.

In the process however, its forces have sustained heavy losses, in both men and equipment.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, during its counteroffensive over the past 3 months Ukrainian forces sustained over 66,000 dead with more than 7,600 heavy weapons destroyed.

Having sustained such heavy losses and made only limited gains, many are now wondering how much longer Ukraine can continue on its present course.

The U.S. however, seems determined to keep Ukraine fighting for as long as possible. To help it do so the U.S. has just supplied Kiev with another massive aid package worth over $665 million in new military and civilian security assistance. This will include anti-tank missiles, artillery and mortar rounds, tactical air navigation systems, additional ammunition for HIMARS and controversial Depleted Uranium ordnance.

Against this backdrop, Blinken’s visit is seen as an attempt to further reassure Ukraine that the Biden administration is not about to abandon it.

For once it is a perspective that the Biden administration shares with the Kremlin although the Russians take a much more cynical view of things.

On the morning Blinken arrived in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:

“We have heard repeated statements that they (the Americans) intend to continue to help Kyiv for as long as it takes,” Peskov said.

“In other words, they are going to continue to support Ukraine in a state of war and to wage this war to the last Ukrainian, sparing no money for this. That’s how we perceive it, we know it. It’s not going to affect the course of the special military operation.”

As Russia sees it they have no option but to press on with their campaign in eastern Ukraine, because the U.S. seems ready to fight to the last Ukrainian in an effort to weaken and fragment Russia.