The Ukrainians were forced to retreat from the stronghold of Avdiivka, which they had held against the Russians since the start of the war in 2014. The principal cause of the retreat was a “shortage of ammunition because of declining Western military assistance,” the New York Times reported. That is, the Ukrainians were forced from Avdiivka due to a lack of US funding directly caused by the House Republicans.
The Russian advances are unlikely to stop there, as ammunition shortages are endemic up and down the front, again, courtesy of the House Republicans. Thus, the House Republicans can chalk up a defeat of US interests and policy to Putin’s Russia, despite a US economy 14 times larger and a population twice as big.
Mike Johnson’s speakership has brought us to this point: a historic US defeat at the hands of Russia, with more to come.
And where is Johnson? He called an early vacation for the House. As the conservative Washington Examiner put it:
Lawmakers left the Capitol on Thursday afternoon without making progress on several pieces of legislation the House initially scheduled to consider this week. The lower chamber is not scheduled to return until Feb. 28, just days before the federal government is set to enter a partial shutdown on March 1.
Johnson's speakership is rapidly disintegrating, as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), posting on X (Twitter), noted:
Getting rid of Speaker McCarthy has officially turned into an unmitigated disaster. All work on separate spending bills has ceased. Spending reductions have been traded for spending increases.
Russian Strikes Cut Power For Nearly Half a Million Ukrainian Households
Warrantless spying has been temporarily extended. Our majority has shrunk.
The speakership is a difficult position at the best of times. It is the sausage machine of government policy, where high-minded principles are ground up and converted into legislation that can command a majority vote. The role involves all of persuasion, threats, bluffs, promises, trades and trickery. While representatives like Matt Gaetz (R, FL) can afford to throw grenades over the parapets, the Speaker has to make the machinery of government work.
With a razor thin majority and a fractious conference, Mike Johnson is facing a Herculean task. He looks increasingly overwhelmed.
All of this is terrible for Ukraine. And it will ultimately prove terrible for the Republicans. They will now have to take the blame not only for the anarchy in the House, but also for Russian victories in Ukraine.
As it stands, Republicans are not weak on national security, they are anti-national security. Let's see how the voters like that come November.
This article is reprinted from Princeton Policy Blog. See the original here.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Comments (4)
There is a strong cause - effect relationship that links Ukraine's now heightened losses to the US republican (MRGA cult) led stalling of aid. As their once foremost weapons supplier, Ukraine is now months into the disastrous impact of this MRGA stalling. As the republican MRGA party filth intended putin smiles.
Nikki Haley if you ever do get in, you have some serious house cleaning do in the republican party to make it anything close to being again palatable for moderate conservatives. It seems even the mainstream republican reps have become nothing more than manipulated tools for the far right extreme putinrump aligned MGRA party
What an unfortunately period in USA history
CNN reported yesterday that Ukraine troops fled in panic and abandoned more than 300 wounded. BBC reported today that the retreat was chaotic and troops were left behind. They also say that troops pleaded with commanders to withdraw and all requests were denied until it was too late. If this is true, Syrskyi and Zelensky have a lot to explain and there needs to be accountability for this scandal. The Ukraine needs to start taking responsibility for its failures.
So nice not to see Jack Griffin’s biased, insulting, vulgar and hysterical rants.
@Imokru2, go fuck yourself you pathetic piece of shit.
Kopits and Kyiv Post: Blame Republicans? Blame Trump? Well, how about this--the USA has been invaded by 8 million foreigners, and Republicans want to do something about it but the democrats don't. So they resort to this tactic to tie aid to Ukraine with securing our border. Isn't' our security more important to deal with first? The USA has sent more aid to Ukraine than anyone else--and you know what, we are 34 trillion dollars in debt. the USA bankrolled NATO for decades, and while we support Ukraine, don't you think its time for Europe to step up and take some blame for Avdivka? Time for Europe and Ukraine to thank UNCLE SAM for what He has done. And will Ukraine repay America for the aid it gave??? I work in Odessa but I am a realist. Stop blaming Republicans and get Europe to give more.
@daniel johnson,
@daniel johnson, I am afraid you are only listening to MAGA speech, quite far from reality. The EU has sent more help to Ukraine than the US, that is the true fact, and is not sending as many weapons because it can´t BECAUSE FOR DECADES HAS BEEN BUYING THOSE WEAPONS FROM US. Now, with the new policy in Moscow and Trump, Europe is changing and starting to build a powerful arms industry, which means MUCH LESS BUYING FROM US. That is the effect of Putin and Trump on Europe. US under Trump can loose hundreds of billions in sales to Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. And US, unlike China, doesn´t have a market so huge that can absorb all that produces. Europe is receiving millions of inmigrants from Africa and the Middle East (in this case because a disastrous US policy in the Middle East, supporting Israel´s genocide), and don´t use that excuse to end the aid to Ukraine.