Will they or won't they?

By Toni Piechota

The question is not “will Putin surrender? Doubtful. To surrender = to Gadaffi. Ukraine? No, they’re in an existential crisis. It’s a trick question, really, because there are many more than one “will they or won’t they” questions. This question I am asking today, specifically, is will the US House bring the vote to fund Ukraine to the floor for a vote.

Does it matter? Seriously: does it matter?

Maybe not. Maybe North Korea, China, and Iran won’t really be able to help Moscovia enough to overwhelm the support of the “sort-of willing.

But we do see a different tone from various individuals of geoglobal importance. For instance, I have heard, rather than “when Ukraine wins” instead of the standard “when Ukraine wins. Because Ukraine probably can’t win without military aid of the West. And the only country at present who have the capacity to provide military kit is the US.

Perhaps the (predictable) congressional waffling was not predicted by some, but how? How could this not have been predicted?

General consensus among those to whom I listen, who include D.C. lawyers and some congressional aids and advocates, is that the US aid will get passed. Great! But when. Each day, infantry are outnumbered and Ukrainian artillery is outnumbers significantly by artillery launched by russians. This translates to lost limbs, severed heads, and traumatic brain injuries, for example.

The point is, the question as to whether the US Congress will fund military aid to Ukraine matters. It is time sensitive. It has profound consequences on the United States, including our credibility. European nations have already been examining options to diversify from F-16s to add Swedish Grippens, for example. Because, God forbid, what if the US infighting precludes sending necessary parts or approvals?

The main sticking point is said to be securing the southern border of the United States, a realistic concern. Particularly on specific news outlets and its followers. The people have been making noise. Additionally, maybe this will slow down any operations in the governments and result in inactivity, perceived to make the  Biden administration look bad. Either way, a decision to tie Ukrainian military aid to policy changes to secure the southern border means months of infighting and delayed and more detached legs and severed heads.

As advocates of Ukraine, there is so little we can do. We can’t raise money for long-range missiles or F-16’s. We can donate money. We can volunteer, whether peeling potatoes or delivering supplies to frontline soldiers. We can spread the word, the truth. And we can contact our political representatives. That’s about it.

Does it make a difference to make three calls or emails a day stating “fund Ukraine now”? Who knows. But for us- those of us devoted to Ukraine breaking away from missiles killing civilians, child abduction for the purpose of russification, frontline soldiers losing life and limb, torture of those in occupied territory, and so much more, is it really too much?