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| The last friend of Ukraine. Corruption and clan struggle brought Blinken to Kyiv |
| 2023-09-07 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Aleksandr Tishchenko [REGNUM] US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Kiev on an unannounced visit. Less than a day ago, the State Department announced that there was no information on the visit of the chief to Ukraine, but on the morning of September 6, the world media published a photo of the arrival of the head of American diplomacy to the Ukrainian wards. Blinken met with his Kiev counterpart Dmitry Kuleba and delivered a speech at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. In general, as expected, the Secretary of State will discuss with the Kiev leadership all the same "counterattack", as well as the fight against corruption in Ukraine, ABC News reports . The same US agency sources say that Blinken will announce a new military aid package. The State Department official also said in a comment to CNN: Blinken will announce more than $1 billion in financial support to Ukraine, although the source did not specify what needs the money will be used for. The last time the head of the State Department came to Kyiv exactly a year ago, in September 2022. Then the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to occupy part of the Kharkiv region and the right-bank part of the Kherson region. Apparently, the United States planned to consolidate the successes of Ukraine on the military field, promising to supply it with new weapons. This time, Blinken's intentions were more modest. Speaking at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Blinken, contrary to obvious facts, praised the Armed Forces of Ukraine for "noticeable progress" in the counteroffensive. It should be noted that two months ago he admitted on CNN that the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, widely announced at the end of winter, is “hard”. According to him, the Russian Armed Forces have organized a "reliable defense", and the "counterattack" itself will not end in a few weeks. The US Secretary of State then stated that Ukraine would receive F-16 fighter jets, but made a reservation that their delivery would take several months. In fact, the West is clearly dissatisfied with the stalled offensive, the symbols of which are the burning German Leopard tank, and now also the British Challenger-2 , military blogger Mikhail Onufrienko told IA Regnum. From the American visitor, “as usual, a commanding roar: how to walk in formation and follow orders,” the source noted. But the practical success of the counteroffensive depends on the amount of equipment supplied, and it is clearly insufficient, the expert argues. “Moreover, no one is going to increase it: they didn’t even deliver what they promised,” Onufrienko points out. - Of the 1 million shells promised by the end of 2023, 226,300 pieces were handed over, including missiles. American Abrams tanks still did not reach. Yes, aircraft will be delivered, but, obviously, these will not be hostilities this year. Washington has long been able to supply Kyiv with the same M1A1 Abrams main tanks and F-16 fighters, but so far has not done this, the expert notes. In his opinion, the United States, with all its interest in prolonging the conflict, does not intend to continue to seriously invest its own resources in the military supply of Ukraine. Blinken's inspection visit should give an answer - whether large-scale investments make sense. CORRUPTION AS A HINDRANCE TO EXTERNAL GOVERNANCE The idea of supporting Kyiv at any cost is becoming less and less popular in the United States, which is important in the context of the 2024 presidential campaign already underway, experts say. “All potential bipartisan presidential candidates with a rating above 5%, except for Joe Biden , are in favor of stopping aid to Ukraine and negotiating with Russia. Therefore, Blinken needs to find out the situation on the ground and see what can be done, ” American expert Dmitry Drobnitsky told IA Regnum. At first, Blinken will say that everything is fine in Kyiv, albeit difficult, and Ukraine is moving forward, Drobnitsky predicts the results of this “on-the-spot inspection”. “It would be a big surprise for me if Blinken suddenly said that Kiev had failed and the United States was abandoning Ukraine ,” the expert noted. “ But they will almost certainly say something about corruption.” It can hardly be considered a coincidence that Blinken's arrival coincided with a series of statements made by the leadership of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) of Ukraine, an agency created at one time on the direct orders of the United States, the Americanist believes. In July, SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko announced that a “large number” of criminal cases had been opened for corruption in the Defense Ministry. Experts do not exclude that the head of the US State Department came to the "bride" of the country's new defense minister: the day before, the Verkhovna Rada approved the resignation of Alexei Reznikov , followed by three of his deputies leaving their posts. Instead of Reznikov, we recall that Rustem Umerov , a fellow of the Future Leaders Exchange Program FLEX, funded by the US State Department, became the new head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry . As IA Regnum noted , the new head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is also connected with the United States by a family business. It is significant that Reznikov was filmed remotely and hinted that corruption proceedings are next, Drobnitsky notes. In his opinion, the corruption cases of Ukrainian officials “are already in the US Department of Justice”, their consideration is “at a low start” and this, in particular, is the reason for the arrest of oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. On September 2, the owner of the Privat group and a sponsor of Ukrainian neo-Nazi battalions with several citizenships was placed under arrest. Kolomoisky is charged with the illegal withdrawal of more than 500 million hryvnia abroad in 2013-2020. As IA Regnum noted earlier , the United States is thus eradicating the remnants of the oligarchic freemen, which is not needed in the regime of direct external control of Ukraine. MEASUREMENT OF THE LEVEL OF "TOXICITY" With his visit to Kyiv, Blinken solves another problem, domestic political and career, Drobnitsky believes. According to the Americanist, the head of the State Department wants to demonstrate that he "and his clan, who saddled foreign policy ," control the situation in Ukraine (which many in Washington consider "toxic"). He also intends to show Kyiv "clients" that he, Anthony Blinken, is the main hope of the Ukrainian regime. “Blinken on the sidelines of Kiev will say that Ukraine has only one friend left, and that is him,” Drobnitsky said. - Like, Biden does not understand, and not today or tomorrow he will be removed, the presidential adviser on national security Jake Sullivan , together with the Clintons , is preparing a plan for negotiations with Moscow. And if Donald Trump becomes president of the United States , you're just finished. Therefore, let's think together how to save the project of a democratic pro-Western Ukraine." At the same time, the Secretary of State himself intends to assess how "toxic" the current Kiev regime has become, experts believe. “The fact that they began to write about Ukrainian corruption in the Western press is a fact. So, something will be said, ” Drobnitsky notes. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #3 Another sources indicates also some $500million to "combat Climate Change". |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2023-09-07 17:49 |
| #2 It is my understanding the Noland Blinken group have won an internal struggle. Ukraine and Russia are sideline issues. China is the new focused struggle. If Ukraine losses so what. As with Afghanistan just move along. Ukraine will be Russia's problem. No concessions, no compromise so USA looks strong. |
| Posted by: Dale 2023-09-07 16:41 |
| #1 "Blinken compared to Kissinger is just a schoolboy in short pants, sitting in too high a chair." - Yakov Kedmi. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-07 04:52 |