With Trump coming to power in the US, the era of military support for Ukraine is coming to an end, – NYT

Supporters of aid to Ukraine in Congress are backing down because they fear attacks from Trump supporters.

With the coming to power of Donald Trump in the United States, it is becoming obvious that the era of US military support for Ukraine is coming to an end, and even Ukraine’s allies in Congress are rethinking the assistance, writes The New York Times .

“In the weeks since Trump’s election, some of the most ardent supporters of Republican funding of the war in Ukraine have noticeably changed their tone to match his position, although they continue to talk about the importance of supporting the country itself,” the publication writes.

According to the NYT, support in Congress for funding the war in Ukraine is gradually weakening amid constant pressure from Trump allies in the ultraconservative, isolationist wing of the party. They are calling for redirecting funds for Ukraine to other allies, such as Israel, or to domestic projects, such as border security.

Trump is expected to inherit control of billions of dollars in unused aid to Ukraine when he takes office. And some Republicans have used the opportunity to avoid difficult conversations about Ukraine’s future dependence on American aid, hoping that by the time such debates become necessary, they will be irrelevant.

Meanwhile, pro-Ukrainian figures from Mr. Trump’s inner circle of advisers, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, have already distanced themselves from the idea of increasing military aid, praising Trump’s offer of loans as a sensible alternative.

“I think now is the time to offer constructive, creative solutions to end this war,” Graham said when asked if he would continue to support the idea of sending tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine, as he has done in the past.

According to Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw, supporters of aid to Ukraine are backing down because “they are afraid of attacks” from Trump supporters.

In the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the outgoing party leader, and Susan Collins of Maine, who will become the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, are expected to continue to push for Ukraine to receive the financial and military aid it needs to continue the war. But it is unclear how many more people will heed their calls to oppose Trump’s course, the NYT writes.

US aid to Ukraine

Previously, a senior Biden administration official said in a media comment that the United States plans to deliver hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, thousands of missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles, and other important assets to Ukraine by mid-January.

The US State Department stated that the amount of assistance provided should be sufficient to cover Ukraine’s needs for weapons and equipment until the end of 2025 .

(C)UNIAN 2024