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Czech President Petr Pavel. Photo/REUTERS
PRAGUE – Czech President Petr Pavel warned that, with the United States set to refocus attention on domestic issues next year, Ukraine may not get the funds to resume military action.
The former military officer said Kiev’s armed forces may only have one chance to mount a major offensive against Russian forces.
“A window of opportunity has opened this year. After next winter it will be very difficult to maintain the current level of assistance,” Pavel told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
“Ukraine will have only one attempt to launch a massive counterattack,” he added, as quoted on Monday (20/3/2023).
He warned, “If it fails, it will be very difficult to get funding for the next one.”
Pavel, a retired general who served as chairman of NATO’s Military Committee until 2018, predicts US interest in helping the Ukrainian army will likely wane by 2024.
The focus of politics in the country will shift to the presidential campaign, and US-China relations are likely to be a top foreign policy issue.
European countries are likely to reduce their funding for Ukraine as well, the politician predicts.
