Andrew Marr: Are the Americans really prepared for a war to the end, as Biden suggests?

20 February 2023, 19:47 | Updated: 20 February 2023, 20:01

Andrew Marr has said President Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv was a "spectacular and provocative piece of theatre", but questions whether the US is really prepared for a war to the end.

In his first visit to Ukraine since the war began, Mr Biden made a $500m weapons pledge - with the US understood to be providing more rockets for HIMARS systems, and more anti-armour weapons to take out Russian tanks.

The President added that Ukraine will receive more "critical equipment" from the US, including artillery ammunition, air surveillance radars and anti-armour systems.

In his address, Mr Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin "thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now. He’s just been plain wrong".

But speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr, the presenter asked whether the US are truly prepared to back Ukraine in the long-term.

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“A lot of the time, we pretend it isn’t happening. Even now we talk about our important little domestic politics, the wanging on at Westminster, as if we had, at least half forgotten, that we are living through a war not so very far away which continues to change all of our lives and which could at almost any stage morph into a much wider war.

“Today, as with the visit of President Zelesnkyy to Westminster earlier this month, is one of those days we just can’t ignore, this world-reshaping big picture.

Andrew Marr questions if America are prepared for 'a war to the end'

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“Because President Biden has been in Kyiv, pledging long-term US backing for the war, a pretty spectacular and provocative piece of theatre by anyone’s standards.

“Meanwhile, the head of the Wagner group, which has been leading recent Russian attacks, appears to have been ranting wildly online about Moscow’s failure to provide him with the ammo he needs.

“So what is really going on? Last week, Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State said America was not actively encouraging Ukraine to take back Crimea, he said that would be a ‘red line’ for Putin, and would lead to a wider response, and you can guess what that might mean.

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“In the same mood, the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley says that during this year, it would be a very very difficult thing to militarily eject the Russian forces from all of the Ukraine.

“So, are the Americans really prepared for a war to the end as President Biden suggests?

“And are the Russian forces in fact close to collapse?”