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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: UKRAINE US AID
HEADLINE: Ukrainians Anxious as US Aid Package Remains in Doubt
TEASER: Ukraine sees US support as crucial for the country to defend itself from Russian aggression
PUBLISHED AT: 12/12/23 at 10:40am
BYLINE: Anna Chernikova
DATELINE: Kyiv
VIDEOGRAPHER: Eugene Shynkar
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA ORIGINAL
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:02
VID APPROVED BY: MA
TYPE: TVPKG
NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Anxiety is growing among Ukrainians as a U.S. emergency spending bill to provide additional aid to Ukraine remains stuck in Congress. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv.]]
((NARRATOR))
It’s Ukraine’s second Christmas season at war, and one filled with uncertainty for many here as aid from the U.S. remains in doubt.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been almost completely dependent on military and financial support from its partners — especially the U.S.
Vitaly Portnikov, a Ukrainian journalist and political analyst, says that the war has devastated Ukraine’s economy, and that both the economy and the war effort depend on support from the West.
[[RADIO VERSION: Portnikov says that Ukraine by itself cannot stop Russia’s political ambitions, and that this can only be done together with the West. He says he is sure that with the support of the civilized world, Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and statehood, restore its economy, and then be in a position to not need anything from anyone in terms of help or loans. But if Ukraine is left to its own in its struggle against Russia, he says, it will simply collapse as a state. He says this as an absolutely objective reality.]]
((Vitaly Portnikov, Political Analyst (MALE IN UKRAINIAN)))
“Ukraine cannot stop Russia’s political ambitions. This can only be done with the West. // With support from the civilized world, Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and statehood, restore its economy, and not take help or loans from anyone. It is only a matter of time. But if left on its own against Russia, Ukraine can simply collapse as a state. This is absolutely an objective reality.”
((NARRATOR))
As Ukraine’s leadership works to persuade its friends to keep sending the support it needs, on the streets, concern grows.
[[RADIO VERSION: Niuta, a Kyiv resident, says she counts on some kind of support because without it, objectively, Ukrainians will not be able to win this war. She says every country should support Ukraine because it serves as an impassable barrier between Russia and the rest of Europe.]]
((Niuta, Kyiv Resident (FEMALE IN UKRAINIAN)))
“Of course, I count on some kind of support, because without it, objectively, we will not be able to win this war. //
I believe that every country should support Ukraine now because we are an impassable barrier for Russia to the European countries at the moment.”
[[RADIO VERSION: Another Kyiv resident, Dmytro, says that he foresees very difficult times for Ukraine, and that it will be very sad if the war turns in a very different direction from what Ukrainians were expecting. He says all Ukrainians need to rely on themselves and always thank the world if it helps them.]]
((Dmytro, Kyiv Resident (MALE IN UKRAINIAN)))
“Very difficult times are coming for Ukraine, and it will be very sad if all this turns in a completely different direction than we were already prepared for. //
We all need to rely on ourselves and always thank the world if it helps us.”
((NARRATOR))
As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on the aid package, many Ukrainians brace for what could be an especially uncertain New Year.
((ANNA CHERNIKOVA, VOA NEWS, KYIV))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 12, 2023 10:53 EST
BylineAnna Chernikova
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
