A year ago, when Washington and much of Europe were still awash in optimism that Ukraine was on the verge of repelling Russia from its territory, it seemed inconceivable that the United States would turn its back on the victim of Vladimir V. Putin’s aggression.
Now, even as Senate Democrats try to salvage an aid package for Ukraine, that possibility remains real. And the political moment feels a long way from 14 months ago when President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stood before a joint session of Congress, wearing his signature drab green sweater, and basked in a minute-long standing ovation.
The turnaround has surprised the White House. Even if the Senate manages to advance military aid, there are still plenty of reasons to doubt that the money will come through, including deep opposition among Republicans in the House and former President Donald J. Trump’s push for a more isolationist stance.
President Biden’s aides insist they are not yet scrambling for other options.
What happens is roughly Ukraine becomes the Kurds, but in Eastern Europe.
And because most of the rest of NATO/Europe will basically stop sending aide when/if the US does, it will be potentially even more messy and complex than the Kurdish analogy, from a ‘How does Ukraine view geopolitics in 5 years’ POV.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A year ago, when Washington and much of Europe were still awash in optimism that Ukraine was on the verge of repelling Russia from its territory, it seemed inconceivable that the United States would turn its back on the victim of Vladimir V. Putin’s aggression.
And the political moment feels a long way from 14 months ago when President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stood before a joint session of Congress, wearing his signature drab green sweater, and basked in a minute-long standing ovation.
Even if the Senate manages to advance military aid, there are still plenty of reasons to doubt that the money will come through, including deep opposition among Republicans in the House and former President Donald J. Trump’s push for a more isolationist stance.
If Republicans are willing to abide by Mr. Trump’s demand that they vote against continued aid to Ukraine, one senior European diplomat in Berlin asked on Wednesday, why would they rely on Mr. Biden’s assurance that the United States would “defend every inch” of NATO territory?
“The United States has a clear choice: arm the Ukrainians with the weapons they need to defend themselves or cut off aid and abandon democratic Ukraine in its struggle for national survival against Putin’s aggression,” H.R.
But none of these arguments, officials in the U.S. and Europe say, can overcome the reality: If the United States pulls the plug on its financial support for the war, much of the day-to-day military necessities will go away — starting with air defense against the near-daily barrages of missiles, drones and other weaponry aimed at urban centers and critical infrastructure like the electric grid.
The original article contains 1,373 words, the summary contains 273 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
When, not if, unfortunately.
Morale is a “fuel” required for war, whether that war is just or unjust/wrong, and the people who don’t understand that outnumber the people who do, by … orders-of-magnitude?
It’s the same with one’s immune-system: if one’s immune-system won’t fight-against a pathogen, but instead decides that accommodating it would cost less, now you’re a symbiote with it.
Politically inevitable that emotions turn, particularly when you aren’t in a democracy, but rather in a representative-republic pretending to be a democracy…
that simple highjacking, of the issues being decided by al electorate rather than the citizens, is an exponent on the politicking controlling national-fate.
