Trump’s Shadow over Biden and Ukraine

Trump’s shadow over Biden and Ukraine

Washington’s support packages under Trump’s shadow

Trump’s shadow over Biden and Ukraine: The White House announced the delivery of the last military support package to Ukraine for 2023, but with the upcoming elections, America’s support for Kyiv has become a subject of debate and controversy.

Eternal support as long as the war continues: The United States’ position on supporting Ukraine will enter its third year in two months. This can be summarized in these words: the Eastern European country that was invaded by Russian forces on February 24, 2022, received the new support package announced by the White House. This is the latest case that does not require Congress’s reconfirmation, where negotiations on aid packages to Ukraine have reached a deadlock.

Therefore, the Biden Democratic government will end 2023 with another demonstration of support for Kyiv and confirm that the United States will remain the main Western supporter of Ukraine, especially at the military level.

However, the year 2024 is expected to be filled with electoral events, including the presidential elections in Russia and the United States. According to observers, this year, in addition to the operational stalemate that has been brewing for several months, there is a need for managing another crisis, a crisis in the Middle East. Currently, there are talks of an imminent change in strategy by Washington to close the game in Eastern Europe.

The latest assistance:

The latest package approved by the Biden administration includes $250 million worth of weapons and military equipment for Kiev. The support package, according to official notes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, includes air defense ammunition, other components of the anti-aircraft system, additional ammunition for mobile missile systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and over 15 million bullets.

Finally, it is emphasized in this statement, or rather note, that a coalition of 50 countries will continue to provide essential support to Ukrainian forces. It is essential for Congress to act swiftly in advancing our national security interests by assisting Ukraine in defending itself and securing its future.

Political, military, and financial support for Qifu has become part of a widespread domestic political game in the United States. An agreement to send more weapons by Republicans has been blocked, and they want to link this action to the tightening of security regulations at the US-Mexico border. In addition, a $50 billion support package for Ukraine and a $14 billion aid package for Israel were rejected by the Senate in early December and did not pass.

All Republicans opposed this initiative, but in addition to Republicans, a group led by Bernie Sanders, who strongly criticizes US and Israeli management of the war in the Middle East, joined them.

The possibility of Trump’s influence on the path leading to the 2024 US presidential election is still a long way off and has become more complicated and challenging due to obstacles such as legal and judicial issues. However, despite all these controversies, a rematch between Trump and Biden in 2020 does not seem unlikely.

In the future, in March, we will witness the presidential elections in Russia. It seems that the outcome of these elections has already been predetermined and confirmed, with Vladimir Putin being chosen again. It appears that both Moscow and Kiev are preparing for a longer conflict. However, if the New Yorker capitalist returns to the White House, it is possible that there may be changes in Washington that may not affect the course of the war.

Chris Dolan, a professor of political science at Lebanon Valley College, claims in his columns in The New York Times that without a doubt, the second Trump administration will cut its support for Ukraine. On the other hand, the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has announced that if reelected, he will end the war within 24 hours. Trump also described Putin as very intelligent after the Moscow forces’ attack on Ukraine in February 2022.

Change of strategy

The current situation and the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections have greatly worried the White House. Politico writes that even if the Biden administration and its European partners continue their unlimited support for Kiev, they still insist on the hypothesis of changing the strategy to end this crisis.

This publication refers to two sources, a US government official and a European diplomat in Washington, who state that European authorities, considering the possibility of negotiations to end the war, will change their ultimate goal from Ukraine’s complete victory over Russia to improving the situation in Crimea. In other words, this is a strategic change that requires strengthening Ukraine’s defensive positions rather than regaining all the territories occupied by the Russians.

The unnamed US official stated that this has always been our theory about this issue – the only way this war ends is through negotiations. He further added that we want Ukraine to have the best possible cards if negotiations take place. The prolonged conflict, which has been going on for almost two years, can complicate the situation for Biden amidst an election campaign.

It seems that every day the chances of Donald Trump’s re-election and his return to the White House for the next year are increasing. Surveys indicate that he has a clear advantage in the preliminary Republican primaries compared to his competitors. The former president would likely win in a hypothetical confrontation with Biden in almost all key states.

However, Biden has to endure a very high level of unpopularity due to dissatisfaction with his domestic and foreign political activities and his government’s poor performance, which exacerbates this matter to the point where the initial bipartisan and public consensus on supporting Ukraine gradually disappears, and for the first time, deep divisions have emerged among Democratic voters and the government, which has been very cohesive and disciplined so far, regarding Gaza.