Did Ukraine Have to Become a Partisan US Issue?

AFP/APP

Washington: Could support for Ukraine have survived the bitter and increasingly polarized politics of Washington?

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made Washington his first foreign destination after Russia invaded his country, leaders of both major US parties escorted him to address Congress, where, dressed in military fatigues, he made the case for help.

Some Republicans stayed away during the holiday-season visit in 2022, but even many critics of aid came and listened. Joe Biden, then president, affectionately put his arm around Zelensky at the White House, and his administration announced nearly $2 billion in additional weapons.

Such scenes, and the bipartisan veneer around them, are long gone.

When Zelensky visited President Donald Trump on February 28, an Oval Office meeting descended into an unprecedented on-camera feud, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance accusing Ukraine of ingratitude. Soon afterward, the administration froze US assistance.

Even some Republicans supportive of Ukraine said Zelensky misread the politics, as he talked back to Vance by questioning the credibility of any promises by Russia.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican ally of Trump, said he met with Zelensky ahead of the White House meeting and told him, “Don’t take the bait.”

After the White House meeting, Graham went so far as to say that Zelensky should quit. However, Zelensky has since worked to repair the rift, writing a letter to Trump and agreeing to talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia.