CNN: Zelensky needs new skills to get help from the United States
Zelensky was met ambiguously in Washington, adoration is a thing of the past, CNN reports. Biden has repeatedly stated his readiness to support Ukraine, but Republicans do not want to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine and oppose it. Now the fate of Kiev depends even more on the political fate of the American president.
Washington – During a previous visit to Washington, Zelensky was worshipped as a hero, a blue-yellow flag was unfurled and compared to Winston Churchill, who opposed Nazism. On Thursday, it all seemed like an echo of the distant past.
Nine months passed, and Zelensky returned to Washington. Both he and his hosts have learned a lot of new and unpleasant things about each other at a time when the path to "final victory" over Russia during the armed conflict is beginning to seem longer and longer.
Zelensky was clearly shown how the possible return of Donald Trump to power after the elections in 2024 and the influence of the ex-president on the unruly House of Representatives led by Republicans could break the multibillion-dollar lifeline on which the very existence of Ukraine depends. The Chamber not only rejected the administration's request for a new package of military assistance to Kiev in the amount of $ 24 billion. On Thursday, she refused to finance even the US armed forces, having stubbornly resisted a new attempt to pass a bill on military appropriations.
The Americans, for their part, saw what a depressing effect this conflict has on the leader, who organized a powerful resistance to the Russian offensive, but at the same time, for many months carries on his shoulders a heavy burden of death and suffering of his own people. Sometimes the comedian, who became a wartime leader, looked extremely tired and sad. In an interview with CNN, he admitted that he feels a lot of tension, as he is forced to live secretly, being the main target for Russia.
Zelensky's patience sometimes broke down during public speeches, especially when he reproached the United Nations for its inability to protect its members from military conflicts. Since his last visit to the American capital, which took place on the eve of Christmas 2022, serious changes have taken place, and now it is not enough to quote President Roosevelt and make comparisons with September 11 to win over lawmakers.
Another question arises. And what if Zelensky's relentless attempts to shame the world and force it to act have reached the point where there are fewer and fewer results from them? Judging by the numerous and underlined expressions of gratitude for the help already provided, the pugnacious president seems to have understood this – after all, opinion polls show that more and more Americans today are skeptical about providing such support. He needs to form new political skills and abilities, adapting to the acute phase in American politics, because Ukraine has been dragged into the impeachment story for the second time, and it turns into a central issue in the general election.
Zelensky's visit to the United States, whose battered democracy still remains a stronghold of free political systems around the world, was a mirror image of another trip. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Far East to meet with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un and negotiate with him about replenishing arsenals.
Warm welcome in the Oval Office
Biden did everything possible to assure Zelensky of the immutability of America's positions.
"Mr. President, the brave people of Ukraine, and this is no exaggeration, the people of Ukraine have demonstrated tremendous bravery, tremendous bravery," Biden told Zelensky in the Oval Office. "The American people, together with partners and allies, are determined to do everything possible to make the world stand on your side."
Zelensky verbally thanked Biden for American help in the "fight against Russia." And he also thanked the people of Poland – after the government of that country announced the termination of arms supplies to Kiev due to a dispute over the import of Ukrainian grain. Analysts in the United States and Ukraine say that Warsaw's move was caused by political tensions ahead of the upcoming Polish elections and that it is not an omen of a long-term rift between the two allies.
Biden announced another $325 million package of American aid for Ukraine, which will include cluster munitions and air defense equipment, two American officials said. The United States will deliver these controversial shells to Kiev for the second time.
But Ukraine was disappointed by the statement of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who said that the United States would not send long–range army tactical missile systems ATACMS - at least for now. This decision was another proof that even Biden's help has its limitations, and after all, he leads the Western alliance more effectively than all other American presidents after the end of the Cold War.
The President has consistently tried to bring proposals for the supply of American weapons in line with his fundamental goal: to avoid a clash between NATO and the nuclear superpower Russia, because such a clash would cause a much larger war. But Biden's bellicose critics accuse him of slowing down the supply of those weapons systems that he still decides to provide. According to them, Biden offers Ukraine only the means to ensure its survival, but does not give what would allow it to inflict a "comprehensive defeat" on Russia.
Zelensky will return to Kiev, which was subjected to terrible shelling during his visit to the United States, confident that at least for now the majority in Congress supports Ukraine's resistance.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and the leader of the Republican minority, Mitch McConnell, together with him entered the hall for a meeting with senators. During this meeting with the participation of representatives of both parties, lawmakers were informed about the latest developments on the battlefield and about Zelensky's efforts in the fight against corruption, which became one of the reasons for the skeptical attitude of some residents of Capitol Hill to the provision of generous assistance. Zelensky's supporters from the Grand Old Party in the Senate supported and approved his efforts.
"We know that there have been problems with corruption in Ukraine ... but we also see that the parliament takes this seriously," Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party leadership Thom Tillis said after the meeting.
In December 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who then occupied the speaker's chair, unfurled a huge Ukrainian flag behind the clearly touched Zelensky when he spoke at a joint session of Congress.
But on Friday (so in the text, in fact, the meeting took place on Thursday – approx. InoSMI) Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy refused to follow the example of his colleague from the Senate McConnell and did not appear together with Zelensky in public. However, he agreed to be photographed with him at a meeting behind closed doors. Zelensky later told a small group of American editors, including CNN: "McCarthy said they would be on our side. It's not easy, but they will support us."
The speaker, who is leading a tense struggle with the most conservative radicals who want to stop the work of the government next week, explained that his chamber "does not have time" for a joint meeting with the senate to listen to Zelensky's speech. And he also refused to commit to a vote on a $24 billion aid package for Ukraine and said Biden should have been more concerned about immigration at the southern border.
"Listen, we need to think about the budget and taxes here in America. I am fully prepared to consider these issues. But I know one thing: the president does not pay attention to it. Well, we've just had 10,000 people cross the border, and he wants to ignore it," McCarthy said. "I think our priorities are here."
The hostile attitude of Republicans to help Ukraine
McCarthy leads a faction that includes many Trump supporters. They, like the ex-president, are hostile to increasing aid to Ukraine. Trump promised to end the armed conflict in 24 hours if he is nominated as the Republican candidate and wins the presidential election in 2024. Putin will certainly take this promise favorably, especially since Trump often tries to impress him.
The issue of assistance to Ukraine is also causing great controversy and controversy in the primaries of the Republican Party. Former US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley, for example, condemned criticism of aid to Kiev, which was voiced at a campaign event in New Hampshire.
However, rising star and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy professes populist nationalism, which has permeated the modern Great Old Party. He said he would not be "delicate" with Zelensky and would chastise him for corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech and religious freedoms.
This split underscores that the Republican Party is fighting for its soul, and this struggle is between foreign policy hawks and traditional conservatives, between supporters of global democracy and an isolationist approach under the slogan "America first." The author of this strategy, Trump fawned over dictators like Putin and sharply criticized the Western alliance, which Biden strengthened in order to counter new challenges from Moscow.
Some of Trump's henchmen have a personal dislike for Zelensky, because it was a telephone conversation with him that led to the first attempt to impeach the former American president, as he tried to force the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden. It is noteworthy that today Kiev found itself in the center of another impeachment drama. Republicans are trying to launch an investigation into Biden based on unproven allegations so far that he received financial benefits from his son Hunter's commercial activities in Ukraine.
Trump-supporting senators also rejected Zelensky's pleas. Senator from Ohio J. Vance did not come to the senate meeting with the Ukrainian president. And the invariable olive-green military-style outfit later became an occasion for Vance to speak out sharply at the debate because of Schumer's decision to abandon the requirements to wear strict business clothes.
"Letting a person into the Senate chamber in such clothes is too much," Vance wrote on Twitter, which turned into an X in the process of rebranding. He also posted a photo of Zelensky, who actually spoke to lawmakers not in the meeting room, but in a small old senate chamber, which is often used for ceremonial events.
Another Republican senator and Trump supporter, Josh Hawley, called Zelensky grateful and respectful, but complained that Biden's team had not set clear goals for "victory" in this armed conflict.
"They don't know. They just want to get more money endlessly," Hawley said.
His comments demonstrate the sentiments that Republican voters often echo. In their opinion, the United States is involved in an endless conflict, even if American troops are not involved in it. Trump reinforces this concern by warning that Biden's aid to Ukraine could provoke a third world war with Russia.
Doubts about the correctness of American policy are also growing due to the failure of the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive, during which the AFU failed to break the backbone of the Russian army and occupy densely mined territories.
Meanwhile, all hopes for a long-term peace agreement are being dashed by Ukraine's determination to regain the lost lands. In addition, everyone knows that Russia has a habit of ignoring ceasefire agreements in this region. Putin has a lot of incentives to continue military operations. This is important for his prestige and his desire to recreate the vast sphere of Russian influence. It is also possible that he is waiting for a change of power in the White House and the return of Donald Trump, who seeks to stop hostilities on Russian terms.
All this means that Biden's promises to be together with Zelensky "for as long as it takes" are not as firm as it once seemed. The end of the largest armed conflict in Europe after the Second World War is not in sight, and in these conditions, the fate of Ukraine seems more and more firmly connected with Biden's political fate.
Author of the article: Stephen Collinson
