Likely Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives poses a potential obstacle for support to Ukraine. Key members of the potential incoming House caucus and outside influencers have suggested resistance to further aid. That is not only a challenge but also an opportunity. As much help as possible should be secured for Ukraine in the coming lame duck session. And from the president on down, all who support Ukraine should use the moment to do something that is difficult but necessary for many reasons, including to sway skeptics in the long-term – that is, Ukraine’s advocates should insist it prioritize anti-corruption.
The need to back Ukraine in its war against Russia – in order to uphold a rules-based world order that delivers freedom, peace, and prosperity rather than rivalry, war, and subjugation by Moscow and Beijing – is well-understood by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Vice President Mike Pence, and still about half of Republican survey respondents. But support for Ukraine among Republicans has fallen over the past eight months, likely for partisan reasons, as President Joe Biden’s success in rallying the world to help defend Ukraine is increasingly seen as his top foreign policy accomplishment.
