There is mounting anxiety for Ukraine about what Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections may mean for Ukraine and U.S. support for the country.
It comes amid growing fears that a Republican surge could weaken American backing for Kyiv in its ongoing war against its invader, Russia.
Ukrainian officials and lawmakers are scrutinizing the opinion polls and parsing the comments of their counterparts. Support for Ukraine is becoming a partisan issue as Republican opposition grows to support, according to a new poll.
Military and financial aid to Ukraine emerged as one of many political flashpoints before the midterm election in which control of the Congress is at stake.
The continuing flow of aid is falling out of favor with some Republicans in the House of Representatives, who say they struggle to justify the overseas spending amid domestic concerns, including high inflation and economic uncertainty.
According to the latest poll data, the Republicans are favored to take over the House and possibly the Senate in today’s voting.
According to the Kiel Institute of the World Economy, the U.S. has brought its total commitments to military, financial, and humanitarian aid to over €52 billion, while EU countries and institutions have collectively reached just over €29 billion.
Support in Congress for pumping aid to Ukraine is starting to fracture as many Republicans in the House question whether the money would be better spent combating China and tackling economic problems facing the U.S.
Republicans are heavily favored by nonpartisan analysts to capture control of the House in next week’s midterm elections.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), who will likely be speaker if the GOP wins the majority, said last month that Congress wouldn’t “write a blank check to Ukraine” under GOP leadership. He later clarified that some within his caucus want greater accountability for the funds sent to the government in Kyiv.
In Europe, the fears are also growing. If the Republicans prevail in Tuesday’s vote, the anxiety is also that without U.S. leadership, Ukraine would slip down the policy agenda of Europe, too, depriving Ukraine of the backing the country needs for victory.
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