Appeal for Financial Support for Ukraine "Threat to National Survival"
Austria's Chancellor: "Russia Strengthens Offensive Centered on Donbas"
[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunwoo Lee and Byunghee Park] As analyses suggest that Russia's full-scale offensive on eastern Ukraine is imminent, Western support for Ukraine is also being strengthened. The European Union (EU) has stepped up additional arms support for Ukraine. Germany, which had been reluctant to provide weapons, has promised to supply tanks and shifted to active support. The U.S. government also sent a strong warning to India, which had been ambiguous about sanctions against Russia, pressuring it to actively join the sanctions against Russia. The civilian death toll in Mariupol, a strategic city in southern Ukraine, is reported to have exceeded 10,000.
On the 11th (local time), Vadym Boychenko, mayor of Mariupol, said in a phone interview with the Associated Press (AP), "The civilian death toll has exceeded 10,000, and the total number of deaths including civilians and soldiers could exceed 20,000." Mariupol has been under Russian military assault for 47 days since the outbreak of the war, with food, drinking water, and electricity supplies cut off. The AP reported that the Ukrainian military is running out of ammunition and the city is on the verge of falling.
◆ Ukraine Requests "Financial Support"... EU Announces Arms Aid
The Ukrainian government appealed for financial support from the international community, citing a shortage of war funds due to the prolonged conflict. Serhiy Marchenko, Ukraine's Minister of Finance, told the Financial Times (FT), "Ukraine's fiscal deficit is rapidly increasing and threatening the nation's survival," adding, "If Ukraine wants to win, the international community must help."
According to Minister Marchenko, Ukraine recorded a fiscal deficit of about $2.7 billion (approximately 3.3361 trillion KRW) in March, and the deficit is expected to increase two to three times in April and May, reaching between $5 billion and $7 billion.
The EU announced additional arms support for Ukraine. According to AFP, at the EU foreign ministers' meeting held in Luxembourg that day, the EU resolved to provide an additional 500 million euros (approximately 673.1 billion KRW) worth of arms aid to Ukraine.
Germany, which had faced criticism for being passive in supporting Ukraine, also expressed its intention to supply tanks. Armin Papper, CEO of German defense company Rheinmetall, told local media Handelsblatt, "We are preparing to supply Leopard 1 tanks, the previous model of Germany's main battle tank Leopard 2, to Ukraine," adding, "Once government approval is granted, the first tanks will be delivered within six weeks, and up to 50 tanks can be delivered within three months."
Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the first Western leader to visit Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, warned that Russia is preparing a large-scale offensive. After a 75-minute private meeting with President Putin, Chancellor Nehammer said, "The conversation with President Putin was very difficult. I could not get an optimistic impression," and added, "Russia is preparing a large-scale attack on the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine."
The Russian side also drew a line, stating there will be no halt to military operations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state media Rossiya-24, "If Ukraine is unwilling to respond, military operations will not be suspended until a complete agreement is reached."
◆ Biden Warns Modi
The U.S. government sent a strong warning to India, which had maintained an ambiguous stance by stepping back from sanctions against Russia.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing, "President Joe Biden held a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for about an hour today and made it clear that increasing imports of Russian energy and other goods is not in India's interest," adding, "The U.S. expressed readiness to help India diversify its energy imports."
According to Bloomberg, India imported 16 million barrels of crude oil from Russia last year, and within less than two months after the outbreak of the Ukraine war this year, India purchased 13 million barrels of Russian crude oil. This has led to international criticism that India is undermining sanctions against Russia.
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