Fresh from a contentious electoral triumph, Vladimir Putin has rejected President Macron's recent plea for a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics. The war has been raging for a little over two years, much longer than many would have initially anticipated, yet we don’t appear to be any closer to a resolution.
Indeed, political will, rather than Ukraine’s determination to resist Russian aggression, could shape events through the northern summer. At the time of writing, the latest aid bill, which provides financial support for Ukraine, is struggling to pass through US Congress, although European Union (EU) members recently agreed to provide another €5bn (£4.3bn) for military aid as part of the trading bloc’s formal assistance fund. The Financial Times notes that the continued political wrangling on Capitol Hill has meant that US defence contractors have been unable to exploit the boom in global military spending, at least in comparison with their European counterparts.
Matters have certainly been more positive closer to home. Figures provided by the House of Commons Library show that the UK is one of the leading donors to Ukraine, alongside the US and Germany, having pledged almost £12bn in overall support since February 2022. Security assistance provided by the US since the start of the conflict has topped the $75bn (£59bn) mark. Naturally, the scale of this contribution will rise significantly if the disputed bill eventually gains Congressional support.