With this previous weekend's Munich Security Conference wrapped up, its delegates left some concerns regarding Ukraine unanswered. This is partially due to the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, but it was also because of the Fall of Avdiivka.
According to German public broadcaster DW, Navalny's death would set the tone for all three days of the 60th year of what observers call the "Davos of Defense" despite efforts by organizers to maintain a more diverse focus on other crises worldwide.
Delegates Discuss Russia, Ukraine, Putin, Trump
One of the pressing topics other than Navalny's death was how to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
Regarding Putin, conference attendees were dealing not only with Navalny's death - which US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris claimed as an assassination - but also the Russian capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka over the weekend.
As for Trump and the Republican Party, they were blocking a vital aid package worth $60 billion for Ukraine put forward by Biden, citing issues and concerns in the southern US border with Mexico as a more immediate crisis to deal with.
During her visit to Munich, Harris stressed that she and Biden were still trying to get a majority in the US House of Representatives, which the GOP currently has a majority. The bill regarding a new defense package was only passed in the US Senate.
"The stakes of your fight remain high for your country and for the entire world," Harris told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the conference. "It is in the strategic interest of the United States to continue our support."
In Munich, I met with the US Senate delegation and informed senators about Ukraine's priority defense needs, which include additional artillery systems and ammunition, long-range weapons, electronic warfare equipment, and air defense.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 17, 2024
I am grateful to the United States Congress… pic.twitter.com/Hsc6vJ7MHz
Zelenskiy also met with a delegation of US senators in Munich, stressing to them that his country was dependent on new weapons and ammunition from Washington, specifically "additional artillery systems..., long-range weapons, electronic warfare equipment, and air defense."
Read also: World Leaders React to Alexei Navalny Death: Outrage, Concern, Skepticism Among International Tone
GOP Senator, Dutch PM Insist Europe Should Beef Itself Up
On the other hand, Ohio senator J.D. Vance (R) said that the problem with Ukraine was that there was "no clear end point."
He further argued that the US would not be able to produce as many weapons as would be needed either in war or as a deterrent, given the many conflicts in the world, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and "potentially, a contingency in East Asia."
However, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte insisted that there was no point in focusing only on the problems of US aid to Ukraine, as Europe's defense industry should increase its production for its armies and for Ukraine.
Of all the debates and talks at the weekend's MSC, Navalny sounded most decisive about the necessity of aiding Ukraine and rearming Europe to deter Russia, a necessity also stressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
