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The rhetoric of the conflict in Ukraine is multifaceted. Some support the operation, some condemn it. The rhetoric in Europe and the U.S. has long been evident, but it is acquiring new forms over time, which can be seen in the official statements of EU and U.S. representatives.
On April 17, U.S. Defense Department officials at a briefing announced an increase in artillery and ammunition supplies. According to the U.S. assessment, an escalation may occur in the next few days, they added. The U.S. assessment came after explosions in the Darnitsa district on the outskirts of Kyiv early Saturday morning.
Ukraine’s diplomat and Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Makarova, said, “We hear constantly, no matter what false communication comes out of the Kremlin, no matter what intimidation is heard in notes or direct statements, the United States says very clearly and publicly that they are with Ukraine, supporting us in our fight for our own lives, for democracy and sovereignty.”
Russia had earlier sent an official diplomatic note to the United States warning that U.S. and NATO deliveries of the “most sensitive” weapons systems to Ukraine “add fuel to the fire” of the conflict and could lead to “unpredictable consequences”. Nothing will stop the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden from continuing to support Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said in response.
Volodymir Zelensky is also expecting a visit from Joe Biden, although Biden himself has said that it is likely that someone from his team will visit Ukraine. The previous week, Biden approved an additional $800 million military aid package for Ukraine. This is the first time the U.S. has agreed to provide Kyiv with such powerful military equipment, including 11 Mi-17 helicopters; 18 155mm howitzers, and another 300 Switchblade drones. According to the U.S. side, this aid has already started to arrive to Ukraine.
European positions look more like consolidating with the U.S. Also on April 17, Kiev said that Ukraine had filled out an application for EU membership. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, handed Volodymyr Zelensky an envelope with a questionnaire for starting accession negotiations with the EU during a visit to Kyiv earlier in April. She stressed that the questionnaire was “the basis for discussions in the coming months. Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanyshyna later confirmed that Kyiv had received the questionnaire and hoped to become a candidate country in June.
Ursula von der Leyen also noted that “every week the sanctions are digging deeper into the Russian economy: exports have collapsed by 70 percent. According to our forecasts, the GDP will collapse by 11 percent. Russia’s national bankruptcy is only a matter of time.”
The European Commission has begun discussing a new package of sanctions against Russia, in the future, it will be the sixth package of sanctions. This time, the sanctions will target the Russian banking sector, especially Sberbank, as well as the energy sector. In addition, one can note that Estonia has closed access to its ports to Russian ships.
Comparing the rhetoric of the EU and the U.S. concerning Russia, they share the same vector – condemnation. But the parties approach the issue from different sides, while the U.S. openly accuses the Russian Federation of inhumanity, genocide, and mass executions, European politicians are more restrained and rely on the economic factor, simply stating what the Russian economy will face soon. The Russian side, in turn, refrains from harsh criticism and responses to provocations.
