On Monday, the White House made an appeal to Congress: We are almost out of money for Ukraine and risk putting our ally at a disadvantage.
Zelensky and Ukraine were weakened
In recent weeks, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been less in the news, with Western media initially focusing on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
However, not long ago we highlighted the communicative talents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. By finding the right words and the right tone every time, Zelensky was able to secure the sympathy of the Western world.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian had to break off a secret video meeting with US senators. This is unfortunate because they disagree about the amounts requested by the White House, particularly the $61 billion earmarked for Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin claimed on December 1 that his troops were making progress on the ground, specifically in the suburbs of Donetsk. This map from the Institute for the Study of War seems to confirm his claims.
If, in addition to being excluded from the media, Ukraine had to be abandoned by its partners, above all the United States, it could well be that the patience of Vladimir Putin, who had counted on the fatigue of Vladimir Putin’s Western public, would bear fruit Opinion.
Applications get stuck at the southern border
I’ve been saying for some time that U.S. support for Ukraine is necessary and a good investment, but in their opposition, Republicans are exploiting another glaring issue closer to voters: immigration at the southern border.
Even before they agree on the amount demanded by Joe Biden, elected Republicans are demanding that any aid provided be conditioned on the passage of a package of measures to curb immigration at the southern border.
But Democrats and Republicans agree on the need to act quickly on the issue, and Joe Biden has already angered his progressive wing by expanding on his predecessor’s actions.
Then where is the problem? The demands of Republican radicals cool the enthusiasm of the most motivated Democrats. Whether it’s about detaining children for long periods of time or expanding the powers of the executive branch (we’re already thinking about the return of Donald Trump), Democrats believe the demands are illegitimate.
Negotiations in the Senate therefore came to a standstill on Tuesday and the elected representatives of the Republican-majority House of Representatives will be even more demanding than their colleagues in the upper house.
By investing in disinformation during the 2016 presidential campaign, Vladimir Putin received a huge return on his investment with Donald Trump’s victory. I now suspect that he is happy about the presence of many radicals in the American Congress. American democracy risks giving him an additional gift by limiting support for Ukraine.