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Writer's pictureAnton Kuchuhidze

International Press Review dated 23 September - 4 October 2024

On 23 September, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on an official visit to the United States and attended a meeting of the UN General Assembly. The key issues in his talks with leading American politicians were the authorisation of long-range strikes inside russia and the presentation of Ukraine's peace plan. That is why in recent weeks, Western media attention has been focused on Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden and the results of the talks.


Reuters notes that after President Zelenskyy's visit to the United States, Ukraine received another aid package worth almost $8 billion. US President Joe Biden said that Ukraine will win the war, and the United States will support Kyiv at every stage.


Some media outlets report that President Zelenskyy ended his visit to the United States without receiving the expected permission to use Western long-range missiles to strike deep into russia. However, many experts tend to believe that Ukraine may have already received such permission, as in the case of the transfer of ATACMS missiles.


Mark Rutte, the newly appointed NATO leader, pledged further support for Ukraine regardless of external factors, as supporting Ukraine is an investment in its own security. Rutte said that defending Ukraine is one of his top priorities, along with strengthening NATO's capabilities and addressing growing global challenges to Euro-Atlantic security. This was reported in The Wall Street Journal.

Le Monde's editorial emphasises that Ukraine needs NATO's guarantees, and that it is vital for Ukraine to receive an official invitation to join the Alliance from Joe Biden before he leaves the White House, especially as it goes through a difficult phase of the war with russia.


The authors are also convinced that in order to end this war, Ukrainians need to be sure that their security will be guaranteed after a potential peace agreement. Both Europeans and Americans know that the only real guarantee of security is Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which guarantees collective defence in the event of aggression by one of the Alliance members.


In another article from The Washington Post, the author believes that Biden should take more aggressive steps to support Ukraine, even if he is not ready to give the green light for long-range strikes using ATACMS missiles. According to analysts, putin has long been escalating the war, taking it to new fronts.


Presenting the Victory Plan for Ukraine is a very good move by President Zelenskyy. It is important to understand the specific steps in each sphere - economic, military, diplomatic - that are necessary for Ukraine's victory and for it to become a member of the EU and NATO. As a result, the plan for peace and victory will be finalised at a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine's defence in the Ramstein format. I am confident that it will lead to concrete decisions.

 



I think Biden should take other aggressive steps to bolster Ukraine, even if he balks at green-lighting long-range strikes using ATACMS missiles. A visit to Kyiv this month left me worried that a weary Ukraine is beginning to buckle under the strain of this awful war. Zelensky’s political base is fragmenting, and a prolonged war of attrition will pulverize Ukraine. The United States and its allies must help Kyiv win a just settlement soon, even if it’s not the total victory that Zelensky seeks.

 



The war will end when Vladimir Putin stops his aggression against Ukraine. I think Putin will stop when he comes to the conclusion that he cannot win at an acceptable cost. He is not yet at that point.


Nobody is contemplating any aggression against Russia. It’s Russia that is an aggressor. It’s Russia that invaded Ukraine. Putin feels secure to throw everything he has into the war against Ukraine because he knows that NATO is a purely defensive alliance.




NATO’s new leader pledged continued support for beleaguered Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion and vowed to put pressure on China to curtail its support of Moscow, whoever wins the U.S. presidential election.


The voice of support for Kyiv comes as it faces setbacks in both warfare and diplomacy, heading toward winter with much of the country’s energy infrastructure in ruins.

 


But if the Ukrainians want to put an end to this war, they cannot consider concessions without the assurance that their security will be guaranteed beyond a potential peace agreement. Europeans and Americans alike know that the only real guarantee of security is provided by Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which guarantees collective defense in the event of aggression by one of its members.


Biden has so far resisted taking the step, encouraged by members of his team. Some countries, including Germany, are opposed. The process will be complicated, but it is the only way to discourage Vladimir Putin from pursuing his European offensive.

 



The United States plans to announce more than $8 billion worth of military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Washington, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday.


President Joe Biden's administration has been engaged in urgent discussions with Congress to allow it to use up $5.6 billion in military aid for Ukraine before Sept. 30 - the end of the federal fiscal year - when the authority was set to expire.

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