The US wants Ukraine to sharpen its plan for fighting Russia as the war heads into its third year and is expected to raise the issue with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos next week, Repot informs, citing Bloomberg.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is likely to bring up the topic with the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, and American officials will continue to push the point in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the planning who asked not to be identified to discuss matters that aren’t public.
The reason for discussing this issue, according to Bloomberg's sources, is friction and recent issues that have arisen between Washington and Kyiv.
Firstly, over $110 billion in European and American aid remains blocked, and the counteroffensive by the Defense Forces in 2023 failed to achieve a significant breakthrough despite substantial support from American and European weaponry.
Secondly, officials in Washington are concerned that differences between Zelenskyy and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, slow down efforts to develop a new strategy.
"Allied officials remain hopeful the aid may be released by next month, the people said, though there's no sign of a deal in Washington yet," the statement said.
A source familiar with the matter stated that Ukrainian military officials are currently developing plans for 2024, considering a full range of options. At the same time, the US aims to determine how best to direct its support to help Ukraine defend itself this year.