Failure of US leadership
The US Congress has dithered and reveled in dysfunction for months, delaying a crucial national security bill. This, even though members knew each day’s delay was costing an increasingly defenseless Ukraine dearly in both blood and treasure.
US allies and enemies alike watched in utter stupefaction: Democratic allies expressed shock and dismay — as US politicians displayed a confluence of despairing fecklessness and preening disregard. Autocratic enemies expressed glee and schadenfreude — as Ukrainian politicians displayed a confluence of despairing helplessness and seething resentment.
Speaker Mike Johnson could have spared Ukraine untold human loss and America immeasurable reputational damage. He only needed to heed President Biden’s plea to allow Congress to do months ago what he’s allowing it to do today.
Democrats took an unusual step Thursday and helped Republican leaders advance legislation to provide billions in stalled security funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, steering the measures closer toward passage this weekend.
Late Friday morning, the full House voted on the debate rules, advancing it for final passage Saturday with broad bipartisan support. … House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he was ‘happy.’
(CBS News, April 19, 2024)
Except that Johnson spent months fraternizing with the America-first, pro-Russia caucus within the GOP. It’s notable, however, that he did so at the behest and for the benefit of its leader, the Republican presidential nominee and Putin’s puppet-in-chief, Donald J. Trump.
The adage “better late than never” seems apt. Yet, Ukraine might counter with “too little, too late” — and who could blame them?
After all, this dithering over supplying weapons isn’t just a bug in US leadership. It’s been a feature of Biden’s leadership from day one.
You’d never know that Biden declared that Ukraine is fighting on behalf of the West. He framed this war as one between the forces of democracy, led by the US, and the forces of autocracy, led by Russia. So, what price democracy? Especially if defending it causes no US or EU lives…
Failure of EU leadership
But iPINION questions this existential dependence on the US. After all, Russia’s genocidal onslaught in Ukraine poses a far greater threat to the EU.
EU countries have been wringing their hands over unprecedented US dysfunction as this crisis of leadership played out. But they should explain why they haven’t provided Ukraine with all the weapons it needs.
Frankly, from the outset, those rich EU countries should’ve been supplying Ukraine with enough munitions to ensure a 10 to 1 advantage. Instead, the relatively poor and heavily sanctioned Russia has enjoyed this advantage.
You’d think EU leaders would’ve seized this epic failure of US leadership to help Ukraine outgun Russia. But, alas, their 75-year dependence on the US, posing as an alliance, has sapped them of all national and continental pride.
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