Military Aid for Ukraine Has Been Blocked for Months: The US Is Committing Treason against Ukraine

This shows the influence of Donald Trump, who is helping to determine the course of the world power from behind the scenes. But his plan to force Ukraine to give up will lead to catastrophe.

If every word of support for Ukraine had the value of an artillery shell, Ukraine’s arsenal would be filled to the brim. However, political rhetoric is cheap and not a substitute for decisive action. Joe Biden’s administration has said for years that the U.S. will stand by Ukraine for “as long as necessary,” but this “as long as it takes” now sounds increasingly hollow. Although Ukraine now urgently needs foreign aid more than ever, America’s arms supplies have largely dried up.

Under the Spell of Donald Trump

Biden is not to blame for this, but there is a minority group in Congress that can impose its will on the country. They dance to the tune of former President Donald Trump, who has achieved the uncanny feat of sabotaging Washington’s Ukraine policy without even holding office. Republican Mike Johnson, who is speaker of the House of Representatives, is also under the spell of Trump, who is thirsting to make a comeback. Because Johnson knows Trump’s opinion and power, he is delaying a vote over further military aid for Ukraine with more excuses.*

It isn’t the case that Speaker Johnson doesn’t understand just what’s at stake. In 2022, he outlined the challenge: The Russian invasion was undermining the world order and threatening the entire Western world. On TV he emphasized that support for Ukraine against the Putin regime is in the direct interests of the American people. “This is a very dangerous and unstable time, and we have to take it very seriously. But the bigger problem is that it empowers other dictators, other terrorists, other tyrants around the world because if they perceive that America is weak or unable to act decisively, then it invites aggression in many ways.”

In the meantime, the politician is worried about one thing above all else — his own career. He actually finds himself in the unfavorable position in which a handful of extremist Republicans can oust him [from the speakership] at any moment, which happened to his predecessor. Among these inner-party opponents is Trump admirer Marjorie Taylor Greene, who in her delusion accuses Ukraine of leading a “war against Christianity.” Greene is threatening the Speaker with a vote of no confidence should he bring an aid package for Ukraine to a vote.

It’s a tragedy that the Republican speaker and the American superpower, itself, are letting themselves be blackmailed by such fanatical figures. This is exactly the weakness that Johnson had warned of two years ago.

Unscrupulous Delaying Tactics

Responsible action would mean submitting the $60 million aid package, which was long ago passed by the Senate with a two-thirds majority, to the House of Representatives. There is a clear majority in favor of it. But Johnson plays for time and keeps breaking his promises. Even his announcement to the media right after the Easter vacation hasn’t materialized. He has not presented a version of the bill ready to be voted on; instead, the ideas that he has come up with are likely to lead to another long debate.*

The blockade in Congress has lasted eight months already — which is too long for the people in Ukraine. The lack of grenades and anti-aircraft missiles, which stand ready to go in U.S. arsenals, is causing loss of lives on a daily basis in Ukraine. On many sections of the front, there has been no choice other than to retreat with heavy losses. Ukrainians will not surrender because of this. However, claiming victory on their own is not possible with the limited European supplies. The country is in danger of slowly bleeding to death. The U.S. has in its hands the power to turn the tide of battle. But instead, the world power is paralyzing itself and betraying not only the people of Ukraine, but also its own interests as well.

*Editor’s Note: On Wednesday, April 17, House Speaker Mike Johnson proposed a bill that would send $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $10 billion of which would be in the form of loans. The House is expected to vote on the bill Saturday, April 20.