Open Animosity

Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a warm welcome. However, the Ukrainian president was met with disapproval from Republicans in Congress. Can Kyiv still fully count on the U.S.? A commentary.

For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the latest trip to Washington must have been an extremely alarming experience: He was met with open animosity from Republicans. The U.S. public is now largely war weary. Donald Trump supporters do not care about Ukraine or are dubious about helping the country because they secretly sympathize with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

Far-right figures are openly calling for a stop to all aid for Ukraine and undermining the military budget. For now, Democrats still have a majority in the Senate, and, being in the White House, Joe Biden can attempt to circumvent the deadlock using all sorts of tricks. But that could change after the election next year. If Trump becomes president again, he will cut off Ukraine’s aid and happily negotiate a “peace deal” with Putin.

So, Kyiv is running out of time. Zelenskyy — who said “thank you” strikingly often in Washington and, unlike during his trip nine months ago, did not put forward any demands — knows that, too.