Polish minister: Cutting U.S. aid won't force Ukraine to yield
Cutting off American intelligence aid is not a strong enough move to force Ukraine's capitulation, said Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in an interview with The New York Times. Sikorski also noted that Russia has lost at least 200 billion dollars and nearly a million soldiers in the war.
What you need to know
- Radosław Sikorski told The New York Times that cutting off American intelligence aid will not compel Ukraine to surrender.
- Sikorski assessed that Russia has suffered significant losses in the war, estimated at 200 billion dollars and nearly a million soldiers.
- Europe is prepared to invest more resources in aiding Ukraine, Sikorski emphasized.
What are the consequences of cutting off American aid?
The Polish diplomat is quoted in the NYT article regarding Europe's position if America withdraws support from Ukraine. Sikorski agreed with Trump that Ukraine is more significant to Europe than to the United States, but he assured that because of this, Europe is ready to "invest proportionally more resources" and is already taking action.
The minister also observed that while U.S. support for Ukraine, including intelligence sharing, is important, it's "not a strong enough card to dictate a capitulation to Ukraine."
Capitulation would mean recognizing the annexation of Crimea
According to other experts cited by the newspaper, near capitulation would involve Kiev accepting the conditions set by the United States, including recognizing the annexation of Crimea.
Fabian Zuleeg, head of the Brussels think tank European Policy Center, stated that the American proposal "essentially hands Russia a victory it cannot achieve on the battlefield", amounts to an alliance with Russia, and is a betrayal of Ukraine and European security. He added that recognizing the annexation of Crimea negates "the principles of European peace and puts into question the whole European security architecture since World War II."
What losses has Russia incurred?
Minister Sikorski highlighted the enormous costs that Russia has faced due to the war. Financial losses are estimated at at least 200 billion dollars, and the number of dead and wounded soldiers approaches nearly a million. - That's not my definition of victory - Sikorski remarked.
He also stressed that Europe "understands the stakes" and will continue to support Kiev. - And Poland certainly will, and we’re not the only ones - he added.
