The member of the Bundestag, the foreign policy expert from the Christian Democratic Union Roderich Kiesewetter did not rule out that the aid package for Kiev, which is currently under consideration in the US, could become the last major tranche from Washington. He expressed this opinion in a comment for the media group Funke.
„We shouldn't hide the fact that the war could go on for a long time and this could be the last big US aid package,” says Kiesewetter. In this regard, according to him, Europe should not only be on par with the US in terms of supporting Kiev, but also be ready in the future to compensate for the lack of help from Washington. “This requires not only Taurus missiles, but also more air defense systems and long-range precision weapons, drones and artillery, tanks and fighter jets,” said a member of the Bundestag.
The head of the parliamentary committee on European affairs, Anton Hofreiter (The Greens), also called on Europe to increase military aid to Kiev. “Europeans have been shown how precarious American support for Ukraine has become. This could be the last US aid package for a long time, or even the last. This means that we Europeans have to do more for Ukraine,” Hofreiter told Funke. He believes that once the package is approved by the US Senate, arms deliveries to Kiev should begin immediately before the spring thaw prevents Russian troops from advancing.
On April 20, the US House of Representatives approved bills to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, confiscate frozen Russian assets for transfer to Kiev and impose additional sanctions on China. The volume of the package was 95 billion dollars. It includes, in particular, $60 billion for Kiev and $26 billion for Israel and for humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including the Gaza Strip.
The bills must now be approved by the US Senate, which will begin consideration on April 23. If passed, they will be sent to US President Joe Biden for signature. The American leader has already promised to sign this package of bills.