amna: This week, the united
States authorized one of its
largest arms packages yet for
Ukraine.
The $800 million worth of
weapons is designed to help
Ukraine in what's expected to be
a large upcoming battle in
eastern Ukraine.
The question of whether to arm
Ukraine is one that has
challenged American policy
makers for years.
Ali rogin has a look back at how
recent presidents have dealt
with that question, and what
lessons the Biden administration
learned from them.
Ali: As Ukraine's eastern donbas
region prepares for a renewed
Russian offensive, the U.S.
Announced another transfer of
weapons to Ukraine from its own
reserves, this time including
heavy weapons.
>> They will be facing Russian
forces that are familiar with
the territory in that part of
Ukraine.
Ali: Eight years ago, Russia
first invaded eastern Ukraine,
and the face of U.S. Policy in
Ukraine was vice president Joe
Biden.
During the Obama administration,
Biden made six visits to
Ukraine.
But before the invasion, he was
focused on anti-corruption
reform, democracy, and the
so-called reset with Russia.
>> We're working, as you know,
Mr. President, to reset our
relationship with Russia.
But I assure you and all
Ukrainian people that it will
not come at Ukraine's expense.
Ali: But then in 2014, Putin
invaded and annexed crimea, and
started the brutal war in the
donbas.
The U.S. Imposed targeted
sanctions, pushed for a
diplomatic solution, and
provided nonlethal aid, like
helmets, first aid kits, and
radars to the Ukrainians.
But no lethal aid, like weapons
and ammunition, despite
president Petro poroshenko's
pleas to congress.
>> Please understand me
correctly.
Blankets, night vision goggles
are also important, but one
cannot win the war with
blankets.
Ali: Alina polyakova is the
president and CEO of the center
for European policy analysis, a
washington-based think tank.
>> The Obama administration
wasn't willing to go into the
so-called lethal aid category
because the fear was that there
would be a provocation of Russia
to do something even more
escalatory in Ukraine.
Ali: The Pentagon did start
training Ukrainian soldiers in
2015.
In an exit interview with "The
atlantic" magazine, Mr. Obama
said Ukraine "Is going to be
vulnerable to military
domination by Russia no matter
what we do," and that "There's
always going to be some
ambiguity" on U.S. Policy there.
>> It is an honor to be with
you.
Ali: Donald Trump brought a
different sort of ambiguity.
While he embraced Putin, his
administration armed Ukraine,
selling Kyiv hundreds of javelin
anti-tank missiles in 2018.
[Explosions]
Ali: The next year, Ukraine was
set to receive almost $400
million in military aid,
including money for more
weapons.
But trump blocked it, sparking
the events that led to his first
impeachment.
In a July 2019 call,
newly-elected president
volodymyr zelensky said Ukraine
was "Almost ready to buy more
javelins."
Trump responded, "I would like
you to do us a favor though,"
asking zelensky to investigate
his presumed presidential
challenger Biden, and his son
hunter, who'd had business in
Ukraine.
Trump and his aides defended the
hold.
>> We do that all the time with
foreign policy.
Ali: Top officials said that was
not true, like William Taylor,
who served as ambassador to
Ukraine under the previous three
presidents.
>> I and others sat in
astonishment.
In an instant, I realized that
one of the key pillars of our
strong support for Ukraine was
threatened.
Ali: The hold was lifted in
September 2019, and Ukraine
received the funding.
Alina polyakova says
policy-wise, Ukraine benefited
from the trump years.
>> The trump administration
signed off on these javelin
anti-tank systems that the Obama
administration drew a red line
on.
And the response from Russia was
really not a peep.
Ali: The considerable Washington
fallout was mostly political.
To defend trump, his lieutenants
and allies made Ukraine a
scapegoat.
>> Would that money get to the
right place, or would there be
corruption in Ukraine, and the
money wouldn't flow to the
mission that it was intended
for?
Ali: Once he returned to the
white house in the top job, Mr.
Biden continued providing lethal
aid, announcing a new $60
million package during
zelensky's first visit in
September 2021, including more
javelins.
>> Good to see you again.
Ali: As Russia's military massed
on Ukraine's border, Biden tried
diplomacy.
He held a virtual summit with
Putin in early December, and
reportedly delayed providing
another $200 million worth of
military aid until the end of
the month.
Dustin walker is a defense
expert with the American
enterprise institute, a
conservative policy
organization.
>> What we saw in the run-up to
the conflict in Ukraine is the
Biden administration operating
under the mistaken belief that
military power and diplomacy
came at the expense of one
another.
Ali: In month before the
invasion, Biden was highlighting
the weapons already provided,
and predicting how he thought
war in Ukraine would end.
>> I've already shipped over
$600 million worth of
sophisticated equipment,
defensive equipment to the
Ukrainians.
The cost of going into Ukraine
in terms of physical loss of
life for the Russians, they'll
be able to prevail over time,
but it's going to be heavy.
Ali: In early February, the U.S.
Deployed troops to fortify
nato's eastern front, and
imposed sanctions in
coordination with nato and the
E.U.
Two days after the invasion
began, Biden approved a third
weapons tranche, this time $350
million worth, including more
javelins and stinger
anti-aircraft systems.
In total, Biden has made seven
-- has provided almost $3
billion in security assistance
since the war began.
>> Ukraine needs weapons
supplies.
Ali: Just before Wednesday's
announcement of new weapons,
zelensky released a video, in
English, with specific requests.
Some of the items, like
artillery systems and armored
personnel carriers, are now
headed to Ukraine for the first
time.
Others, like jets, are not.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby
acknowledged that the list isn't
everything Ukraine wants.
>> Clearly it's curated.
But it very much reflects what
they need, and it's an outgrowth
of actual, no-kidding
discussions that we've had with
Ukraine.
Ali: The U.S. Says the aid will
get to Ukraine quickly.
But Ukrainian officials say the
decisions to send them are
taking too long, as foreign
minister dmytro kuleba told
"Newshour" special correspondent
Simon ostrovsky.
>> In the end, we get
everything.
But the time between the initial
question that we asked and the
moment when we get it is wasted.
Ali: Mr. Biden is mindful of
that criticism, says Dustin
walker.
>> As the conduct of the war has
continued, the Biden
administration has expanded its
willingness to do more.
You are seeing that in terms of
the pace and scope of weapons
deliveries in Ukraine.
Ali: Today's American policy
towards Ukraine is much
different than it was in 2014.
Its effectiveness is getting
tested every day of this war.
For the "Pbs newshour," I'm Ali
rogin.