Lithuanian president indicates she may offer military aid to Ukraine

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite will visit Kyiv today to offer aid to the Ukrainian government, accompanied by her foreign minister, energy minister and defense minister. Not all the aid will be financial, she said during a Nov. 23 interview with the 1+1 television network on the eve of her visit. “These positions, their very names, have something to say,” she said.

She called for the European Union to offer Ukraine military support, noting that some of the aid Lithuania will be offering isn’t for public discussion. “Sometimes large sums of money are poorly transferred, corruptly transferred. It’s not helpful, and that’s a problem with Ukraine,” Grybauskaite said. “We are ready to help, but if Ukraine doesn’t overcome its corruption in administering the state, any sums will be thrown to the wind,” she said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Kyiv on Nov. 21, during which he urged the Ukrainian government to strengthen its democratic institutions, the accountability of its government and to root out the corruption that has engulfed Ukraine for many years. He lauded parliament for approving a law on fighting corruption and he lauded President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Yatsenyuk for launching a reform program with the IMF.

The same day, the Pentagon announced the U.S. military delivered on Nov. 20 three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The radar systems are the first few of 20 that will be delivered during the next several weeks and U.S. military members will begin training the Armed Forces in mod-December, said Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren.

The U.S. government also allocated USD 118 million for equip and train Ukraine’s armed forces in monitoring and defending the border, delo.ua reported on Nov. 22. The aid includes bulletproof vests, helmets, vehicles, night-vision goggles, rations, tents and first aid kits. The latest aid package is in addition to USD 320 already earmarked, as well as USD 1 billion in loan guarantees.

Zenon Zawada: It’s encouraging for Ukrainians to see such support being offered, even without all the details available. It’s also encouraging that Western leaders are warning the Ukrainian government of the consequences of ongoing corruption while offering the support. Should the Ukrainian government take this advice, we expect such support will increase in direct proportion to Russian aggression. However, if it’s business as usual for the new government, we anticipate disastrous consequences, including the loss of Western support.