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During a conference at the White House, Congressional leaders were given a dire image of what would happen to Ukraine’s military if US assistance in the form of weapons, trucks, and other supplies stopped, as reported by NBC News.

On January 17, meeting with key congressional leaders, top US officials presented a grim assessment of the war’s trajectory. Without continued US support in the form of ammunition, vehicles, and other supplies, they warned of “massive Russian advances” and a potential Ukrainian collapse.

USD 60 BILLION AID REQUEST

There is a political uproar in Congress over President Biden’s USD 60 billion request for further help. GOP lawmakers are using the matter as leverage against the administration and Democrats, having gained confidence from the House’s lowered legislative barriers.

The urgent risk was highlighted by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s severe warning: Ukraine’s air defence is about to run out in a matter of weeks, which might allow Russia to launch deadly airstrikes throughout the nation. He also highlighted that Ukraine’s capacity to properly defend itself might disappear in a matter of weeks or months if the US does not step up its assistance.

Beyond the battlefield, representatives of the Biden administration outlined a terrifying possibility: a Ukrainian defeat would bring down American credibility abroad. States may become isolated if other nations caught in the geopolitical crossfire decide to renounce their relationships due to uncertainty about US resolve.

For the Biden administration, this sudden anxiety represents a sea change. Domestic political squabbles were mostly kept out of the Ukraine crisis for months. Due to internal Republican strife and the impending presidential election, it is now the main focus.

REPUBLICANS OPPOSE FURTHER AID

Right-wing members of the House GOP, wielding outsized influence thanks to procedural changes, vehemently oppose further aid. Their leader, Speaker Mike Johnson, casts doubt on a potential House immigration deal emerging from Senate negotiations, suggesting the true solution lies in a Republican White House.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s vocal scepticism casts a long shadow. His boasts about ending the war within days of a hypothetical second term drew a sharp rebuke from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “That’s really making me a bit stressed,” Zelensky remarked, expressing concern about unilateral decision-making without considering “both sides, without us.”

With Biden’s talks with Johnson yielding little progress and Republican factions deeply divided, the path forward for Ukraine aid in the House remains shrouded in uncertainty. The war in Ukraine, once a distant conflict, is now deeply embedded in the messy web of American politics, jeopardising its outcome and shaping the world’s perception of US leadership.

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