Ukraine’s Richest Man Says He’s Doing Everything He Can To Help His Country, And Sparing No Expense
ForbesSep 09, 2022
Day 56 Roundup: War 'Would Have Already Ended' with More Weapons, Zelenskyy Says; Mariupol Stand-off Continues
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Image copyright: Getty Images [via The Guardian]
The Facts
In his late-night address on Tues., Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy claimed that if Ukraine had access to all the weapons it needed, "we would have already ended this war." He continued: "It is unfair that Ukraine is still forced to ask for what its partners have been storing somewhere for years."
The comments came amid the latest shipment of US military aid on Mon., after Biden authorized $800M in a further package of assistance on Apr. 14. The US has pledged upwards of $2.6B in military aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
The steady supply of weapons the US and its allies have sent to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion. It has helped prevent Putin from achieving his initial war aims to conquer and control Ukraine; now is not the time to rest.
Narrative B
The US and a number of NATO countries are sending millions – if not billions – of weaponry to a war-torn country with little accountability for whose hands it falls in. It may be vital for Ukraine's security, but can we be sure we're not inadvertently creating armed militias or enabling illegal arms trafficking?
Pro-Russia narrative
If NATO had kept its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification, this war would never have started. Instead of taking Russia's security concerns seriously, NATO keep exacerbating them.
