The United States is forced to prove to its allies that they still support Ukraine

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attempt on Tuesday to convince European allies that the Biden administration remains committed to supporting Ukraine, even though Washington has nearly run out of funds for further arming the country, and the US Congress is not rushing to allocate money to Kyiv, Reuters reports.

Experts say that in Europe, Austin will face a skeptical audience. “It is becoming increasingly difficult for US leadership to come to Europe with the message that the United States is committed to Ukraine in the long term,” said Rachel Rizzo, Senior Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “This message about long-term financial, military, and economic commitments contradicts the real situation on Capitol Hill.”

As the publication reminds, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to schedule a vote on a bill to provide Ukraine with an additional $60 billion, while the White House is doing everything possible to find ways to send aid to Kyiv. US officials do not rule out the possibility of finding additional funds but say that this amount will be insufficient to compensate for the lack of action from Congress.