Published December 20, 2023
The United States should see a clear strategy and more support from Europe before funding Ukraine
After fading into the background following two months of war in the Middle East, Ukraine is back in the news. Congress has debated continued military funding for Ukraine over the past couple weeks, with Republicans staunchly insisting that any such aid must be tied to a bill strengthening border security on the chaotic U.S.-Mexico border. The prospect of a halt in American military supplies has sent Ukraine’s leadership scrambling to shore up public support. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska warned on British television that her country was in “mortal danger,” while President Zelensky met with leading officials in Washington to plead his case—all to no avail.
No fair-minded person can listen to such pleas without sympathy and concern; Ukraine’s courage and suffering have rightly captured the attention of the world. And yet politics is the art of the possible, the art of setting priorities among many needs and limited means. From that standpoint, it is hard to argue with the wisdom of Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s stance. First, America’s primary responsibility is for her own national security, and that means securing the nation’s borders. Second, we cannot continue sending money and supplies to Ukraine without a “clear articulation” of the strategy. Let’s be honest about the endgame.
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