Pressure Mounts on US to Provide Ukrainian Aid
Cameron Bird
Staff Writer
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Minister, and former Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited members of the United States Congress, as well as former President Donald Trump, to garner support for additional Ukraine aid. According to Al Jazeera, David Cameron met with Donald Trump for a private dinner to discuss multiple international issues, focusing on increasing aid to Ukraine.
The former president, and those aligned with him in Congress, have become increasingly wary of additional aid to Ukraine in the face of minimal gains on the battlefield, and little prospect for resolution or victory in the conflict. However, those advocating for aid argue that Ukraine’s recent losses such as those at Avdiivka indicate that Ukraine will falter and ultimately lose if not given adequate support from its Western allies. As reported by BBC News, Ukraine’s failure to make progress in last summer’s counteroffensive, combined with increasingly low supplies and ammunition, has contributed to a sense of despair within the Ukrainian ranks that progress is becoming infeasible in the face of Russian advances.
David Cameron also visited Capitol Hill, according to Politico, but did not meet with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the individual most capable of providing additional aid. Speaker Johnson could bring a vote on Ukraine aid forward but faces increasing pressure from the right flank of the Republican party not to provide Ukraine aid, resulting in a stalemate within the U.S. House of Representatives.
David Cameron not meeting with Speaker Johnson speaks to the state of paralysis surrounding Speaker Johnson’s leadership, and the lack of negotiating occurring to reach an aid agreement. CBS News reports that Speaker Johnson has opted to introduce separate bills on separate foreign policy issues, differing from the Senate’s more comprehensive bill. This appears to be an attempt to walk the tightrope of holding a vote on Ukraine aid, without infuriating right-flank Republicans who do not want to pass additional aid. While there is peril for Speaker Johnson, whether or not the Ukraine aid bill itself passes remains to be seen, and the nature of the bill, in terms of quantity and quality of aid, is still a mystery.
The Associated Press reports that Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, joined David Cameron in the effort to convince lawmakers to support Ukraine aid, with the U.S.’ top diplomat re-emphasizing a sentiment articulated by those across Western governments that the U.S. is essential to maintaining the security of Ukraine as well as other Western allies. The recent divergence of the U.S. from its Western allies in supporting Ukraine does indicate an overall fatigue with the conflict in Eastern Europe, but also an ideological shift happening across the U.S. in general.
The Pew Research Center conducted polls that indicated among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, there is a belief that the U.S. is providing more than it should to its allies in Ukraine. This potential trend suggests that the political headwinds moving against Ukraine are no longer insignificant. The presidential election in November will be incredibly significant in determining the outcome of this battle over policy, as the potential re-election of Donald Trump does not bode well for Ukraine, as he has articulated his opposition to further supporting Ukraine, and potentially reconciling the relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin.
Western powers will watch intently in November and likely re-calibrate their policy approaches depending upon the outcome. Regardless, Ukraine faces an uphill battle militarily and politically and may look to other sources of aid depending upon political shifts in the U.S.
Image courtesy of Getty Images
