The Times: The West’s support for Kiev is conditional

The Times published an op-ed by Matthew Parris entitled: “Our aid to Ukraine has strings attached”.

Parris wrote that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his visit to London this week, not only made his country the focus of attention, but also made himself a focus of support, as he made the matter a personal matter, “so we felt that we couldn’t let this brave hero down… Nor should we”.

Parris considered that “nothing we say should ever weaken our commitment to his battle, and that Moscow’s ambitions in Ukraine must be eliminated not only on the battlefield now, but permanently, and that the last goal is for things to be stable when the cannons stop”.

Parris considers that if the United States and its allies in Western Europe are to bear any responsibility in supporting peace after the war in Ukraine, as they supported the war effort, then they must have a voice in the extent of the military ambition of this country and in the terms of any final settlement.

“The military support to Ukraine with weapons, combat aircraft and tanks, and with training in their use, shouldn’t be thought unconditional”.

Parris added that for these reasons, the final decision won’t be in the hands of Zelensky alone.

With regard to the post-war period, whatever the final borders of Ukraine and its shape are, the United States, Britain and the European Union will feel a responsibility to support it and stand by it.

Therefore, these forces will have an interest in the form of peace that will be agreed upon.

Massive reconstruction efforts will be called for.

The West will be asked again to contribute, and this will be at a time when the economies of the countries requested to provide assistance may be greatly faltering.

And those concerned in Brussels will have to consider whether Kiev is within walking distance of joining the European Union, and whether the union can bear the economic burden of accepting another bad economy.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and asks about the possibility that there are less commitments to Ukraine than its membership in the alliance.

The more closely, looking at the situation, the more it becomes clear that if one of the two sides is close to achieving victory in this war, the picture won’t become simpler, but rather more complex.

The day when Russia and Ukraine will sit at the dialogue table should come soon, and that the presence of the third party, which is the Western powers headed by the United States, although it’s not on the table, but it will be strongly felt.

Finally Parris wrote, “I once thought and wrote here that Russia should simply be destroyed… I was wrong… We’ve to involve Russia… Not now, it’s not yet time for that, but that time will surely come”.