OPINION — The Ukrainian Armed Forces are starting the new year running critically low on supplies. Efforts by Congressional leaders and the Biden Administration to reach a deal before the end of 2023, to push through the Administration’s proposed 110.5 billion USD - which included additional funding for the Government of Ukraine - failed, at what could be the most critical point in Kyiv’s war to defend itself against Russian aggression.
As part of political negotiations between Democratic and Republican leaders, the “deal” would have given concessions to the Republicans on the issue of border security, which the Republicans designated as a key demand in return for supporting additional aid to Ukraine.
Now, leaders in Kyiv and Moscow are no doubt closely monitoring developments on a compromise when Congress returns later this month. One thing Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on though, is Washington being unable to secure an agreement and, thus, landing a psychological blow to the Ukrainians, and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, who left Washington empty-handed after his recent visit to lobby U.S. lawmakers to continue their support for Ukraine.
While many Americans are hoping the U.S. will extend support to Ukraine, they are also counting on Washington to take steps to better control the security situation along the U.S. southern border and adopt steps to contain a crisis there that also needs action as an important national security issue.
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One of the frequent criticisms made about the current U.S. Administration’s policy vis a vis Ukraine over the past 20 months, has been that the President and his team have been slow to make key decisions regarding the provision of weapons and equipment to Kyiv. Some argue that the President has allowed Putin to intimidate Washington with threats of the use of nuclear weapons or a direct conflict between the U.S. and Russia and that hesitation on the provision of artillery systems and aircraft being provided to Ukraine, has allowed Russia time to recover from their initial military failures. Some commentators have gone as far as to accuse the Administration foot dragging on aid to Ukraine as dooming Kyiv to failure.
It should be easy to see why any U.S. President would have to think carefully about providing military assistance to another country that is fighting a nuclear armed opponent, and sympathize with the Administration for being hesitant about providing an escalation of the war but it is much harder to understand why the Administration has been so slow recognize that steps needed to be taken to address the crisis along the country’s southern border and come to a compromise with Republicans in Congress who have linked additional aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, to border issues.
During his address to the American people in the wake of the October 7 2023, terrorist attack in Israel, the President articulated why he believed it was important to assist Kyiv and Tel Aviv. He made a point to say how important it is to assist both Ukraine and Israel, as both are in America’s national security interests. Unfortunately, he failed to address the border issue.
Some critics of those Republicans in Congress who have refused to approve additional aid to Ukraine without first obtaining concessions from the White House have accused the Republicans of serving the Kremlin’s interests. But while it is true that a failure to continue assistance to Ukraine will play into Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s hands, Americans should remember that those Republicans demanding a change in U.S. Border Security policy, are not speaking on behalf of the Russians, but instead, are representing the concerns of their constituents. Americans should stop blaming other countries for creating the core problems that are undermining their own country and accept that the crisis along the border is a problem created by us, though it’s unfair to accuse the current administration of “creating” the current border crisis. It is more a result of a failing Immigration system that has required fixing for many years now.
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But the Administration is guilty of failing to make it clear to the American people that it recognizes the crisis along the border and accept that some of its own policies vis a-vis immigration have not worked, and highly unpopular among a large segment of the American public.
While it’s a good sign that Democrats and Republicans have moved closer to a necessary compromise on the President’s Foreign Assistance package, many who do not want to see Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine succeed, will be praying that Congress and the White House can agree on a deal when they return to Washington later this month.
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