It’s not long to winter, and this is going to be another tough one for Ukrainians. The war continues, but allied support is fraying. This week Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, and British foreign secretary David Lammy made a joint visit to Kyiv, after holding a joint press conference in London. Blinken spoke of their “resolute support” for Ukraine faced with ongoing Russian aggression, and Lammy said it was a critical moment for supporting Ukraine as we enter the third winter of the war.
Allied restrictions on Kyiv’s use of long-range weaponry was an important topic for the Ukrainian leader to discuss with Lammy and Blinken. Kyiv is currently restricted to using allied supplied arms to attacks on the Russian military in occupied Ukraine, rather than in Russia itself. The pressure on Ukraine is relentless. In the days before Lammy and Blinken arrived there were increased drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including on Lviv, near the Polish border.
The US and the UK are two of the more committed backers for Volodymyr Zelensky at this stage of the ongoing conflict. But there’s rising opposition in some European nations, including in France and Germany, where far-right parties have proposed a more pro-Putin position.
