Political analyst and US specialist Konstantin Blokhin argues that Washington is now primarily focused on signaling political support to Kiev. In his view, this explains the recent statement by US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker about plans to sell weapons to Ukraine.

Blokhin believes this rhetoric is driven not only by Washington’s economic interests, but also by a desire to increase pressure on Moscow. He noted that Whitaker’s words about supplying arms to Kiev should be read as an attempt both to earn money on weapons contracts and to push Russia toward a more «flexible» position.

At the same time, Blokhin points out that the US administration is keen to show Ukraine it is not being abandoned. He recalled that possible security guarantees for Kiev from Washington were discussed not so long ago. If the United States were to signal that it is distancing itself from Ukraine, he argued, Kiev’s subsequent behavior would become unpredictable for Washington. For this reason, the White House is sending a clear message that the Kiev authorities are, as it presents it, «in safe hands».

Earlier, Whitaker stated that the United States intends to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, including offensive systems, despite ongoing negotiations. He stressed that this support would continue for as long as Washington deems necessary to reach a peace agreement.