WASHINGTON, March 15. /TASS/. The outcome of the conflict in Ukraine will be decided this spring and summer, so the West should not delay its military aid to the Kiev government, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters during a visit to Washington, according to Reuters.
"It's this spring, this summer before autumn that the war in Ukraine will be decided," Borrell said.
He said that during his talks with US policymakers, he discussed possible consequences of Russia’s victory. In his opinion, Moscow allegedly " will not stop there."
"The next months will be decisive," he said, adding that "whatever has to be done, it has to be done quickly."
"It's true for us. We have to speed up. We have to increase our support, to do more and quicker. That's why we are increasing our industrial defense capacities. And it is also true for the US," Borrell said of Europe's efforts to support Ukraine's war effort," the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said.
" Many analysts expect a major Russian offensive this summer, and Ukraine cannot wait until the result of the next US elections," he added.
The European diplomat believes that Russia’s success in Ukraine "will have enormous repercussions for America and for the system of alliances built around the US and Europe." Under this scenario, "no country could be sure anymore" that the United States would "come to help any ally" under attack.
White House’s request
The US government earlier sent a request to Capitol Hill for additional budgetary appropriations in the fiscal year 2024, which began in the United States on October 1, primarily to help Israel and Ukraine, as well as to counter China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific Region. In all, the US executive branch of power, led by Democratic President Joe Biden, would like to receive about $106 billion for these purposes.
The fate of the request and alternative bills remains uncertain. A group of Republicans in the House and Senate has spoken out in recent months against continuing financial aid to Kiev. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has consistently warned that he intended to link further aid to Ukraine to tighter control of the US southern border.
On February 13, the US Senate passed a bill allocating $95 bln in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. However, this package contains no mention of measures to toughen control on the southern border of the United States.