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End to military subsidies sure sign US interest towards Ukraine dwindles — legislator

"Ukraine is no longer a trump card, even of the lowest rank, in the game with Russia and nobody in the United States or Europe is eager to spend money on it," the legislator said

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Ukraine is no longer of any interest to US as a strategic partner and nobody is eager to waste money on it any more. The romance with it was "short-lived," the deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s defense and security committee, Frants Klintsevich, said about Washington’s decision to end military subsidies to Kiev.

"Ukraine is no longer a trump card, even of the lowest rank, in the game with Russia and nobody in the United States or Europe is eager to spend money on it. It is of no interest to them. By virtue of their mentality the Americans tend to cut a long story short. They have made a decision to terminate disinterested military assistance to Ukraine without much-a-do, thereby making it pretty clear that Kiev is no longer on the list of US priorities," Klintsevich said.

As for the European Union, it confined itself to cancelling tourist visas, Klintsevich said.

In fact, this trend developed shortly after the color revolution in Ukraine. Kiev has been warned of that more than once.

"It was clear from the outset that the United States and major European powers do not regard Ukraine as their strategic partner. They just use it. The romance was short-lived," Klintsevich said.

Earlier, the chief of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney confirmed the United States’ intention to end disinterested military subsidies to Ukraine, Pakistan, Vietnam and a number of other countries. All of these will be offered loans instead. In the meantime, assistance to Israel, Jordan and Egypt will remain free.