Jerry Connolly said it was a misguided effort to curry favor with Donald Trump.
Jerry Connolly of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a Democratic Congressman from Virginia, has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s proposal to replace US forces in Europe by Ukrainian troops after the war, calling it “inappropriate” and “even harmful.”
Connolly said in an interview with RFE/RL that “this proposal is ill timed and appears to a political overture towards Donald Trump, should he win.”
Former President Trump is running for reelection. He has expressed skepticism towards NATO and suggested reducing US presence in Europe. He has also criticised the continued aid to Ukraine. This raises concerns about future US policies should he return to power.
Zelenskyy’s Victory plan suggests battle-hardened Ukrainian troops could fill the void should the US withdraw its European presence. Connolly, however, argues that this idea is counterproductive and emphasizes that America’s presence in Europe is critical for allied assurance.
Connolly said that encouraging the US to withdraw from Europe would not serve Ukraine or its allies’ best interests.
He acknowledged that adjustments could be made to the deployment but stressed that an American withdrawal, with Ukrainian forces replacing them, would be detrimental.
Around 100,000 US troops are deployed across NATO members in Europe, including recent reinforcements to NATO’s east flank in Poland and Romania.
Read More @ euromaidanpress.com