Putin says Ukraine would last 'a week' if Western military support stops

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine could not survive for more than “a week” without Western military and financial aid, a claim made on the same day as a European Union official warned that the bloc could not replace the funding gap if support for Kyiv from the United States dried up.

Putin made his remarks on Western funding for Ukraine as fears mount that political turmoil in Washington could jeopardise crucial military and humanitarian aid that Kyiv requires to battle Russia’s invasion. US President Joe Biden admitted this week that he “does worry” US support for Ukraine might get derailed.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin said that Ukraine was being propped up “thanks to multi-billion donations that come each month”.

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