US Secretary of State arrives in Kiev: Bad omen for President Zelensky?
The US Secretary of State unexpectedly visited Kiev just as Ukraine was retreating in Kharkov and Donetsk. What's really behind Mr. Blinken's trip?
What's really behind US Secretary of State Blinken's surprise visit to Kiev?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev on May 14, just days before President Vladimir Zelensky's draconian mobilization law took effect. Despite the US Congress passing a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, the country's armed forces are still struggling with severe manpower shortages, exhaustion and low morale amid a constantly have to retreat. “Western media reported that US Secretary of State Blinken will send a strong signal of trust to Kiev
On the contrary, in my opinion, a hasty, unannounced visit to Ukraine under current conditions should have rung alarm bells," said Alexander Dudchak, leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries ( Commonwealth of Independent States) Alexander Dudchak, and expert of the Other Ukraine movement, said.
According to Mr. Dudchak, Secretary of State Blinken came to Kiev to assess the situation on the ground and propose new, more difficult conditions for President Zelensky in the context of Ukraine's defeat on the battlefield.
One of those conditions, the expert said, would be to speed up mobilization and throw more Ukrainians into the meat grinder of the conflict. The expert drew attention to the fact that only part of the huge aid package will go directly to Kiev.
Of the $60 billion in support, $23 billion will be spent to replenish the Pentagon's reserves depleted in Washington's proxy war in Ukraine, $14 billion will be used to buy weapons for Ukraine , the rest goes to military training and economic support.
The influential US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) points out that, of the total $175 billion approved by Congress since February 2022, only $107 billion was spent on Ukraine, while the majority the remainder funded various US activities related to the conflict
Mr. Dudchak pointed out that the amount of money spent on Ukraine can hardly be called "support": “The US is supplying weapons to the Kiev regime, pressuring the country to send as many conscripts to the front as possible.”
“For American politicians and industrial giants, the Ukraine proxy war is also a lucrative business. Arms manufacturers are profiting from hostility and using part of the money to lobby in Washington," the expert continued.
US policymakers have pressed NATO allies in Europe to send their existing military stocks to the Kiev government and buy replacement equipment from the US military industrial complex. “There is a very strong economic component here.
The US corporations and military industrial complex must generate stable profits and they need to ensure that this process will continue for a long time," Mr. Dudchak explained, and he did not rule out the possibility that American politicians are also making money from corruption schemes related to Ukraine's military efforts.
“We can make an assessment based on the activities of President Biden's family, starting from the time of the coup in Ukraine,” the expert noted, referring to the ongoing Congressional investigation into plot to take advantage of the influence of US President Joe Biden's family
US Secretary of State Blinken's surprise visit also coincided with the end of Mr. Zelensky's presidential term. According to the Ukrainian Constitution, the president's term is limited to five years and can only be extended through legal nationwide elections. Despite calls from Washington and Brussels, Mr. Zelensky has refused to hold elections this year, citing martial law in Ukraine. His term will expire on May 20, 2024.
According to Mr. Dudchak, President Zelensky's opponents can take advantage of his fragile legitimacy. It is possible that the future of Ukraine's leader and the composition of the hypothetical new government in Kiev could also be discussed during Secretary Blinken's visit.
“In general, Mr. Zelensky's legitimacy is determined by the West. However, this situation poses a threat to Mr. Zelensky personally, because he has reduced value for the West, so he can be replaced, and he understands this very well," the expert explained. , and noted, despite President Zelensky's efforts to prove his loyalty to Washington, US policymakers appear to be looking for alternatives to him and Prime Minister Denys Shmygal.
Mr. Dudchak said that President Joe Biden's administration wants to replace Mr. Shmygal with Mr. Oksana Markarova - the current Ukrainian ambassador to the US.
The researcher points out that the Anglo-American rivalry over Ukraine adds to the ongoing controversy. "The Ukrainian presidential office is currently controlled by the British intelligence agency, but Washington wants to put its relatives in the position of leader of the Ukrainian state," Mr. Dudchak concluded.
