In an essay on Politico, professor of the US Army War College John R. Deni writes about the insufficient support of Ukraine from Germany and France. In light of Russiaʼs announced mobilization, the West should increase aid to Ukraine so that it can expand its gains and strengthen its defenses before Russia mobilizes additional forces, writes Deni. However, the author believes, the most powerful economy and the largest army of the continent are not making sufficient efforts to help Kyiv. Although President Macron and Chancellor Scholz have recognized the gravity of the situation since the first days of full-scale war, their actions do not match the rhetoric, the essay says. Germany dragged on for several months with the provision of the promised equipment, which other partners of Ukraine provided much faster. France, it seems, still hopes to maintain a relatively neutral position and is reducing its aid: Paris has sent even less equipment to Kyiv than Berlin, writes Denis. Germany is trying to change the course that the country has followed for half a century, and these changes are coming slowly and are met with resistance. France, in the opinion of the author, is not trying to change its course, but continues its attempts to occupy the "golden middle" between Russia and the West in pursuit of the revival of French greatness. The war is likely to continue for months, if not years, so France and Germany have a chance to rehabilitate and start supporting Ukraine in the same way as the USA, Great Britain, Poland and other allies do, the expert concludes.
The New Yorker published an essay by Antonia Hitchens about Ukrainian military officer Yaryna Chornoguz, who came to the US on rotation to lobby for more aid to Ukraine. The 27-year-old Chornoguz ― in military uniform, with an earring in her nose and a tattoo of a snake on her shoulder ― arrived in New York after 13 months at the front. The military performs various tasks: she is a drone operator, a medic, and a car driver nicknamed the "Gypsy King". Her husband Petro, who is also fighting in the same unit, asked Chornoguz to bring him Marlboro cigarettes from the States. Yaryna and three other military personnel came to America to meet with Congress and ask for an increase in the number of HIMARS, armored vehicles, long-range missiles, and air defense systems. They brought "souvenirs" with them ― fragments of downed Russian tanks, the publication writes.
The Wall Street Journal writes about the cost of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine to the world economy. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has made calculations according to which it estimates the loss of production lost due to the war at $2.8 trillion. As for the zone-by-zone forecasts for 2023, the new forecast calls for the German economy to contract by 0.7%, while the eurozone economy will grow by 0.3%. If energy prices rise again, the situation will worsen. This can happen if there is a shortage of energy in winter, and to reduce the risk, the OECD recommends reducing energy consumption by 10-15%, the article says. According to the same forecast, the US economy will grow by only 0.5%. China will recover modestly from the pandemic, but growth in 2023 will still be the lowest since the 1970s excluding the COVID-19 years and is estimated to be 3.2% in 2022.