In attending the third European Political Community (EPC) summit in Granada (Spain) on Thursday, October 5, Volodymyr Zelensky had come to seek reassurance that the EU member-states would not let him down if Washington faltered. Yet the Ukrainian president saw only his European allies' concern about waning US support. "Now Europe is following the developments in America – the growing political storm," he said before adding that the US crisis only serves to aid "Russia and other enemies to our way of life who want to ride such political storms." He then pleaded directly with the EU-27: "Thanks to Ukraine, your soldiers are not fighting against Russia right now. We do not doubt NATO's strength. But I'm sure none of you wants to find out what it will be like if, God forbid, NATO has to stand up for one of you. We have to win in Ukraine so that Putin cannot scale this aggression to someone else."
In a series of bilateral meetings, Zelensky received a promise of "unfailing support" from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, "for as long as necessary." Spain promised new Hawk missile launchers and Germany pledged to deliver a new Patriot air defense system this winter.
But doubts are mounting in Europe about US financial support for Ukraine, and Europeans fear finding themselves alone on the frontline without their American ally. "Everybody is looking at the situation with obviously a lot of vigilance," said President Macron on Thursday, October 5. On September 30, just as the US Congress reached a last-ditch budget agreement to avoid a shutdown, the lawmakers decided to scrap a new $6 billion aid package that would have enabled Kyiv to receive new American weapons by the end of the year.
"I am confident in America. Confident. They are strong people, strong society, with strong institutions, strong energy of democracy," said President Zelensky. Similarly, on Thursday, October 5, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that European Nations were "very confident" about continued US aid to Kyiv. She hoped to find out more by October 20, when she and European Council President Charles Michel travel to Washington for a US-EU summit.
In European circles, the official line was generally aimed at reassurance, although there was more alarmism behind the scenes. While in Paris, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told Le Monde that he was concerned by "the debates going on in Washington over the last few days. It’s not clear how committed the United States is, beyond Joe Biden, who remains steadfast, and in the run-up to the presidential election." "Yet the US is Ukraine’s biggest supporter and its main partner within NATO," he added.
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