One Disastrous Night: Ukraine Loses American Aid and European Solidity


In one disastrous night America’s aid plan for Ukraine has been defeated in Congress while a key nation in Europe — Slovakia — has defected to Putin’s cause, adding its weight to two other pro-Russian powers.
While President Biden’s signature a few minutes ago on a stopgap measure to keep the U.S. government functioning for 45 days is good news, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) stripped all funds for Ukraine from the government spending bill.

The failure to supply the promised aid will have dire consequences for the war effort: it will hearten Putin, embolden China to supply more aid to Russia, weaken the will of America’s European allies in their effort to push their own financial commitments, and will widen Ukraine’s already large budget deficit.

The cracks in the European front are breaking wide open. Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico is on course to beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election in which he pledged to end military aid to Ukraine.
As a NATO member Slovakia will join Hungary in challenging the European Union’s consensus on support for Ukraine. Austria claims to be neutral — which is in essence a pro-Putin position. Europe will break wide open.