In this country’s two-party system, the result of such a change in direction would be to transform the United States from a trusted friend of the free world into a fickle delinquent who cannot keep his word. That’s happening. .
Biden vowed last summer that the U.S. commitment to Ukraine “will not weaken for as long as necessary.” At the time, the president had good reason to believe that his promises were reliable. Americans overwhelmingly supported supporting countries in conflict as they sought to maintain their independence and their right to align politically and economically with the United States and the European Union. Even if some Republicans had reservations, they should have been reversed the moment the U.S. president spoke to his foreign friends. Maintaining U.S. credibility became a factor in itself.
Seven months later, Ukraine is suffering from a shortage of shells. The military is exhausted and thin. Its parliament is considering a bill to mobilize an additional 500,000 fighters. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears committed to a war of attrition, despite the huge loss of life already. Having failed to seize all of Ukraine, Mr. Putin will likely settle for a “frozen” conflict in which Ukraine retains some territory, remaining indefinitely entrenched, exhausted, and vulnerable to subversion and intimidation. If Ukraine were to lose U.S. support now, it would become even more susceptible to Putin’s bullying. For former President Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican surrender rally, the outcome may not seem bad. He has long admired Mr. Putin and has tried to plead with the Russian dictator. But it should scare everyone else.
These divisions within the United States come at a particularly inconvenient time for Ukraine. After Kiev’s military successfully counterattacked in mid-2022, the optimistic mood that prevailed in Kiev dissipated amid a harsh new reality. In 2023, further counterattacks launched with the help of Western weapons and training failed, leaving Ukraine unable to expand its territorial gains. Now Mr. Putin has found a way around economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union and stabilized his exhausted military. Russian forces are rallying to attempt their own breakthrough. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in the midst of carrying out a sweeping and risky reorganization of the wartime military hierarchy. Ultimately, Ukraine may have no choice but to negotiate with the Kremlin. But all of this is why U.S. aid is important, not wasted. Without Western support, Ukraine will lack the influence necessary to push for the best possible deal, and will be unable to emerge from the war as a free democracy and bring its vast resources and population into the Western fold. right.
Continued U.S. support will also send a message that resonates beyond Ukraine’s borders. If Mr. Putin succeeds in thwarting Western resolve, his next target could be NATO allies, which could spark a broader war that directly involves the United States. On the other hand, if Ukraine shows that violence will not be tolerated to eliminate true democracy, Mr. Putin will be in check, and leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely be tempted to invade Taiwan and other countries. Will reconsider.
Vast swathes of central Europe are now no longer the captives they were during the Soviet empire, which Republican President Ronald Reagan helped collapse, but Mr. Putin bitterly deplores it. The 100 million people living there enjoy relative freedom and national self-determination. They don’t want a return to the days of Russian domination, and friendly relations with the US and EU promise to pay dividends for decades to come.
If Mr Johnson allows the Ukraine aid bill to be put to a vote, it will almost certainly pass. The question is whether he wants to replace Mr. Trump as a Republican leader who stands on the side of Russia’s brutal war machine, or a Republican leader who upholds the party’s best traditions of defending America’s moral and practical self-interests. The question is, do you want to become one?