(UnitedVoice.com) – Over 18 months ago, Russia sent troops over the border into Ukraine, in what most people thought would be a quick take-over of the country. Certainly, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who easily annexed Crimea in 2014, didn’t expect a long drawn-out conflict. According to reports, he believed Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government would fall quickly.
What Russia didn’t factor in was all of the support Zelenskyy and his people would receive from the US and Europe. Americans and Europeans rallied behind the outmatched nation and provided hundreds of billions of dollars in aid. As the conflict drags on, Zelenskyy fears his allies are getting tired of helping, and appears to have issued a threat to Europe.
A Long War
Zelenskyy sat down for an interview with the Economist, recently. He spoke about a wide array of topics, including the possibility that Europe could stop sending or reduce aid to his country if the conflict becomes a long war. While speaking about that, he stated that countries that withdraw aid would be supporting Russia. “And if partners do not help us, it means they will help Russia to win,” the comedian turned world leader, stated.
During the interview, the Ukrainian president also made a bold claim that sounded like a threat. He said that reducing or stopping aid to his country could create problems for Western nations in their own backyards. He stated there was no way to know how millions of Ukrainian refugees across Europe would act if these nations abandoned their homeland.
Zelenskyy said his people are usually “well behaved” and are “grateful” to the nations that sheltered them during the war. However, he warned it wouldn’t be a “good story” if European nations “drive these people into a corner.” In other words, it appeared he was saying that Ukrainian refugees could commit acts of violence if they felt abandoned.
How Much Aid Has Ukraine Received?
The US and Europe have sent Ukraine a mixture of humanitarian and military aid, including weapons and equipment. It’s hard to pin down the exact numbers for Europe because multiple countries are helping. According to a July media report, the European Union had provided approximately $72 billion in military, humanitarian, and financial aid. The US has given the nation more than $135 billion.
While the countries all believe Ukraine is on the right side of the war, the public appetite to keep feeding the war machine appears to be subsiding. The US has suffered a series of natural disasters that have left Americans wondering why the government is so eager to send money overseas when they need help.
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