No one would be more pleased by the growing skepticism expressed about America’s continued involvement in the Ukraine conflict than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A sign that the US and its allies are losing interest in supporting Kiev at a time when Russian leaders are desperate to turn the conflict in Moscow’s favour, Putin is pushing from the jaws of defeat to victory. It simply encourages what it believes can be taken away.
Recent comments by a number of prominent Republicans indicate that their primary objective is not to assist Ukrainians in their fight for survival against provocative Russian aggression, but rather to support the United States at the first available opportunity. It is to reduce involvement.
Florida governor and front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, Ron DeSantis, has declared that protecting Ukraine is not in the “vital interest” of the United States, and that the conflict is a rift between Kiev and Moscow. “The United States has many important national interests, but being further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, one of DeSantis’ main rivals in the presidential race, has given Putin a large stake in eastern Ukraine to end the war if he remains in the White House. He said he would have married Mr.
Skepticism about maintaining US military support is growing within the Republican Party, especially after the Republicans took control of the House in last year’s midterm elections.
Kevin McCarthy, who was finally appointed as Speaker of the House in January after overcoming strong opposition from his Republican opponents, said he would step up to Ukraine as part of a deal he struck with ultraconservatives to secure his appointment. reportedly agreed to spending caps that would limit future aid to
Aside from mounting pressure on US President Joe Biden to change his approach to the Ukraine conflict, the growing Republican opposition to the war represents a public relations gift to Putin.
Since the beginning of the conflict, one of the main assumptions of Russian leaders has been proving that the West is too weak and divided to sustain support for the Ukrainian cause. .
The United States is not the only country showing signs of waning support for the war. There are worrying signs that it is not.
Last week France was accused of sabotaging a European Union plan to replenish Ukraine’s dwindling artillery stocks over a dispute over where its weapons are made. After agreeing a plan to deliver one million 155 mm shells to Kiev, Paris argued that only EU-based defense companies should be allowed access to lucrative new contracts. It is said to be worth €2 billion, which delayed the execution of the deal.
Concerns have also been raised recently about the willingness of other European powers to maintain their support for Ukraine. Germany was recently accused of blocking an attempt to supply tanks to Kiev. Meanwhile, in the UK, where the military has suffered from a lack of funding for more than a decade, the British government is running out of ammunition to send to Ukraine.
This depressing situation will undoubtedly be interpreted by Putin as justifying his view that the West will eventually lose interest in the Ukraine conflict.
DeSantis and others’ signs that Western support for Kiev is waning could have disastrous consequences for Ukraine’s war effort. If Putin can find his way in Ukraine, he will be encouraged by the belief that he can expand his territorial ambitions to the rest of Europe. We will not forget to regard the major withdrawal of the US as yet another void and a green light for territorial expansion.
For example, a study conducted by the Dossier Center, a group funded by long-time Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, warned that the Kremlin plans to take over Moldova by the end of 2010, threatening even in early February. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and, more than a year ago, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “stand in front of a battle map that appears to show a planned invasion of Moldova with Ukraine.” .
Moscow has also threatened to attack airfields in NATO member Poland. Required It was a military response from across the NATO alliance that sparked all-out war between Russia and the West. At that point, the conflict will be a very “vital interest” for Washington.
Putin is always looking for signs of enemy weakness that he can exploit. This explains the interception of American drones in the Black Sea by two of his Su-27 fighter jets from Russia this week. Apart from sabotaging intelligence gathering missions being conducted by MQ-9 Reaper drones, Russia would have also aimed to test Washington’s response.
Weakening support from the United States and its allies could also affect the war in Ukraine itself. Ukrainian forces are now embroiled in a desperate fight to defend the eastern city of Bakhmut.
Although the Russian army suffered heavy losses in the attack on the city (some estimates put the Russian army losing up to 1,000 men a day), the Russian commanders, if they believed, Encouraged by the belief that the toughest attacks can finally win. Ukrainians can no longer rely on help from the West.
Fortunately, there are still countries like Poland that have no intention of abandoning the Ukrainian cause. On the contrary, the brave Poles have just reaffirmed their commitment to Kiev by becoming the first her NATO member to send fighters to Ukraine. Warsaw plans to send four of his MIG-29 fighters.
This is a move that the Biden administration and other allies should be encouraged to replicate. or It’s leadership, and it’s Churchill, not Chamberlain, that many Americans seem to starve. Note: Stopping Hitler would have cost far less in life and treasure. Before He crossed the Rhine.
In an attempt to persuade DeSantis to change his mind, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited the governor of Florida to visit him in Kiev.
This is an invitation that DeSantis recommends you accept.
Con Coughlin is TelegraphHe is the Defense and Foreign Affairs Editor at , and Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Gatestone Institute.
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