Ukraine’s war to repel Russian invasion suffered two major setbacks this year.

The first took place on the battlefield, where a long-promised Ukrainian ground offensive was stymied by Russian fortifications that were stronger than expected.

The second is below

way

now

in Washington, where Republicans in Congress blocked President Biden’s request for $61 billion to keep Ukraine out of trouble

in 2024

.

The battlefield setback was a painful disappointment for Ukrainian leaders, who hoped the offensive could turn the tide of the war.

Instead, they appear to have reached an impasse.

The political problem could be even worse. If U.S. funding is not approved quickly, aid from Europe could also dry up and dramatically erode Ukraine’s ability to fight.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told an audience in Washington that if the standoff continues, there is a grave risk of losing this war.

His warning was for nothing. Republican leaders in both houses of Congress say they support aid to Ukraine in principle, but they do

‘redetermined

delay

ing

the hostage aid must negotiate harder

immigration rules, especially towards asylum seekers. a higher priority from their point of view

.

The House of Representatives went home

10th

days before Christmas without complying with the administration’s request. Senate negotiators from both parties stalled last week in an attempt to reach an agreement, but they too failed.

As a result, Ukraine does not know whether it can count on more funding for the artillery shells and air defense weapons it needs to defend its cities.

the

Russian attack

they experience

.

Military experts say that the Armed Forces of Ukraine

can

will continue to fight until the end of January with the ammunition they already have. But the uncertainty about future supplies is

already

forced them to scale back their operations and reduce their artillery fire.

A lower level of resources means a lower chance of success, said Michael Kofman, a military analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The impact of delayed funding will result in tangible shortages on the front line.

There is also a broader political impact.

If Congress does not approve funding quickly,

That will be the lesson for every country, not just Ukraine

the

The lesson for other countries will be that domestic politics have made the United States an unreliable ally.

For almost two years

President

Biden pledged that the United States would support Ukraine for as long as needed and urged other governments to do the same.

This month, facing

the

push back

of Congress

, he has scaled back the commitment. Now it’s as long as we can.

If Congress approves new funding in late January, it won’t be a major blow to our credibility, said Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow. But if it lasts for months, it will be a disaster.

GOP leaders said their decision to delay funding was a run-of-the-mill legislative hardball, a bargaining chip to win concessions on immigration, which most voters consider more important than Ukraine. But their willingness to be stubborn

the visitors

Zelenskiy also reflected declining support among Republican voters for Ukraine’s fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Polls show most Americans support Ukraine at current or higher levels. But conservative Republican voters, the ones most likely to turn out in the primaries, are disproportionate

li

T

el

I was against it.

The logya has left Ukraine out in the cold,

both

literally and figuratively.

The short-term military objective of the Ukrainians is

simple/mere

to survive the Russian winter offensive, which will likely be concentrated

(like last year)

on civilian targets

look for if–

cities, power stations and other economic infrastructure.

After that, the Ukrainians hope to use long-range missiles supplied by the US and other countries and homegrown drones to attack Russian targets.

In a recent interview with

T t

Economist and Ukraine’s military commander General Valery Zaluzhny called the situation a stalemate.

And

add

sung

that trench warfare does not benefit Ukraine in the long term.

Without a technological breakthrough, he warned, sooner or later we will find that we simply don’t have enough people to fight.

In some wars, a standoff can pave the way for peace negotiations. Not this one.

At his four-hour press conference

on

Dec. On October 14, Putin cheerfully declared: victory is ours.

One reason for his confidence, he believes, is the shaky Western support for Ukraine.

Ukraine gets everything for free, he said. But those freebies may run out at some point, and it looks like they’re already gone.

He didn’t seem interested in finding a compromise. There will be peace if we achieve our goals, he said.

Those goals, he added, include replacing Zelenskiy’s government and disbanding Ukraine’s armed forces.

Hi

it didn’t

Doesn’t sound ready to give up his

long proclaimed

ambition

stupid

absorb

ing

Ukraine to Russia.

The Ukrainians will try to fight over whether we help them or not. They know all too well what it would be like to live under Russian occupation. But oh oh

Our assistance to Ukraine is not an act of charity. It is in our interest to prevent Putin from expanding his empire

by conquest, and by marching his forces to NATO’s eastern border

.

Putin still thinks he can wait out the West, just like the United States and Europe

soon

I’m tired of helping Ukrainians defend themselves

,

and walk away.

The grim lesson of the past few weeks is that he may be right.