US PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR ARMING UKRAINE DOWN TO 41 PERCENT: POLL

Thu 05 October 2023:

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll is showing that support is falling among Americans for supplying Ukraine with weapons, a warning sign for Kyiv, which relies heavily on US arms to fight Russia.

The two-day poll, which closed on Wednesday, showed only 41 percent of respondents agreed with a statement that Washington “should provide weapons to Ukraine,” compared to 35 percent who disagreed and the rest unsure.

That is down from May, when a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 46 percent of Americans backed sending arms, while 29 percent were opposed and the rest unsure.

US president Joe Biden admitted Wednesday he was worried that political turmoil in Washington could threaten US aid to Ukraine, urging Republicans to stop their infighting and back “critically important” assistance for Kyiv. Biden said that he would soon be giving a major speech on the need to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion after the chaos in Washington alarmed US allies.

US leaders expected to assure Ukraine of long-term support

European leaders are expected to assure Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy of long-term support on Thursday after US president Joe Biden voiced fears that Republican infighting in Congress could hurt American policy on continuing aid to Kyiv, Reuters reports.

The Granada gathering also gives leaders such as French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and British prime minister Rishi Sunak a chance to restate their commitment to Ukraine after political turbulence in both the US and Europe raised questions about continued support.

Very confident

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday she was “very confident” the United States would maintain support for Ukraine despite Republican infighting over the issue that has cast doubt over further aid.

European leaders gathering in the Spanish city of Granada where she made her remarks are expected to assure Ukraine of long-term support after U.S. President Joe Biden voiced fears about continuing aid to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy today arrived at the summit of the European Political Community – a forum established last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to foster cooperation among more than 40 countries from Norway to Albania.

Russian assets

Western supporters of Ukraine are exploring options to send seized Russian assets to assist with its war efforts, the President’s Chief of Staff said today.

Andriy Yermak posted on X that: “The US and the EU are looking for legal options that would allow Ukraine to transfer $300 billion (£247 million) of frozen Russian assets.

“This is a very positive signal. Whoever kills, destroys, violates the norms of international law and the UN Charter must lose. This is a question of justice.”

США та ЄС шукають юридичні можливості, які б дозволили передати Україні $300 млрд заморожених російських активів.

Це дуже позитивний сигнал. Той, хто вбиває, руйнує, порушує норми міжнародного права та Статуту ООН, має втрачати.

Це питання справедливості.

— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) October 5, 2023