Will the US keep aiding Ukraine?
Republicans give Volodymyr Zelenskyy a 'cold shoulder' in D.C.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Washington D.C. this week to make the case for more American aid in his country’s war against Russian invaders — but the reception was less supportive than he hoped. Politico reported that Republican opponents of aid came away from meetings with Zelenskyy “unmoved,” noting that Ukraine’s counteroffensive seems to have stalled. “Sounds more and more sort of like Vietnam in the day to me, if I’m going to be honest,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
Zelenskyy “received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he was given last year from Congress,” The Associated Press reported. The Ukrainian was welcomed to the White House with “more ceremony than world leaders normally receive” for his visit with President Biden, but “intensifying opposition” to Ukraine aid among Trumpist Republicans has threatened to derail continued American funding.
Perhaps that’s no surprise. CNN reported last month that 55 percent of Americans oppose continued support of Ukraine. (Like many issues these days, there’s a partisan split in the polling: Republicans want Zelenskyy cut off, while Democrats support the war effort.) Maybe that’s why, as Axios noted, Zelenskyy got a “cold shoulder from D.C. Republicans.” Indeed, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met privately with the Ukrainian, but refused to let Zelenskyy speak to a joint session of Congress.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What the commentators said
“There is no clear path to victory,” Sumantra Maitra argued at The American Conservative. The counteroffensive was “stillborn.” And the situation is unlikely to get better. “Ukraine lacks the manpower, training, and resources to regain its lost lands.” In the meantime, immigrants continue to cross America’s southern border at alarming rates. It’s time to end the aid to Europe and Ukraine, especially until the United States gets its own house in order: “Not a penny more.”
There are plenty of Republicans who do support Ukraine, however. “Kevin McCarthy made a huge mistake in dissing Ukraine’s Zelensky,” The New York Post editorialized. But it is imperative to defeat Russia’s “imperialist war of aggression.” If Putin’s invasion succeeds, Russia will move on to “bullying” its other Central European neighbors — and that might draw NATO and the United States troops into a bigger conflict. If that happens, “America and the West will pay a far higher price than we are paying now.”
It’s nonetheless clear that “Ukraine aid is hanging by a thread,” observed columnist Josh Rogin at The Washington Post. At least half of House Republicans could vote against more support the next time the issue hits the chamber floor. The United States could exercise more oversight over how its money is being spent, and the “call for more clarity on U.S. objectives in Ukraine is valid.” But it’s a false choice to suggest America should pick between helping Ukraine or solving its own problems — and puts Republicans in the position of “abandoning the Ukrainians at the worst possible moment.”
What’s next?
Zelenskyy didn’t come away from his Washington meetings completely empty-handed. President Biden announced a new aid package “worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” ABC News reported, reaffirming the White House support for Ukraine. The country’s people “are steeled for this struggle ahead,” Biden said. “And the United States is going to continue to stand with you."
Maybe. Or maybe not. The legislative path for a new round of Ukraine aid “looks much murkier than last time,” Roll Call reported. “There are a lot of political machinations right now, but I assure you we’re going to get it passed,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, said this week. But, Roll Call noted, he “didn’t say how.”
The debate comes on the eve of a likely government shutdown at the end of the month, with House Republicans unable to come to an agreement amongst themselves about how to fund the American government. CNN reported the Pentagon has exempted its Ukraine operations from any shutdown requirements. That’s good news for Zelenskyy. The question now is how long the good news will last.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Joe Biden's legacy: economically strong, politically disastrous
In Depth The President boosted industry and employment, but 'Bidenomics' proved ineffective to winning the elections
By The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell?
Today's Big Question An 'unprecedented legal battle' could decide the economy's future
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published