Manipulation. Lend-lease for Ukraine is a debt hole so future generations of Ukrainians will have to carry this burden
Russian media are promoting the claim that Ukraine is bound to pay dearly for U.S. defense assistance. Alexei Martynov, director of the International Institute of Modern States, in an interview with Ukraina.ru predicted a costly and long-term retribution, by which the next generation of Ukrainians will be burdened, for the military assistance currently being provided by the United States. In his opinion, despite the fact that today the United States assures that they are helping Ukraine free of charge, they will certainly demand that these debts be paid in full.
Martynov stressed that Washington came up with a scam, the true victims of which will be the legal successors of the current Ukrainian authorities, who will be forced to pay off their existing debts one way or another. He noted that this burden will fall on the shoulders of future generations of Ukrainians. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the West allegedly encourages the country to “fight to the last Ukrainian” and supplies weapons to the republic.
In fact, all these statements about an allegedly “terrible debt hole” and retribution burdening the next generations of Ukrainians are part of deliberate manipulation. Under the terms of the lend-lease program, Ukraine can enjoy potentially unlimited support from the United States and other nations, not only in weapons, ammunition, and equipment, but also in medicines, food, and other essentials, and all this – bypassing export controls. Under the terms of the program, used military equipment may be written off, and payment for destroyed equipment may not be charged. The Lend-Lease arrangement will complement congressional advance defense support for Ukraine, which has already received $1.7 billion in military aid authorized since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
It is beneficial for Russian propaganda to spread messages about unsustainable debt obligations in order to neutralize assistance for Ukraine from the allied nations and to some extent discredit them, in terms of the fact that, allegedly because of their help, Ukrainians will long remain in debt. In fact, Ukrainian society welcomed and praised the Lend-Lease program. President Zelensky also praised the U.S. move, expressing his gratitude to American politicians in a video address.
Independent expert,
О. Bokach