The U.S. House on 20 April passed a bill on providing Ukraine with additional $61 billion in supporting Ukraine’s war with Russia. The bill had been shelved in the House for a while already before its passing. As a result of Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive last year, some U.S. lawmakers, especially the Republican representatives, have since then started to question the purpose of funding Ukraine’s war with Russia, impose pressure on the Biden government in handling the Ukraine issue, and oppose offering additional aid to Ukraine.

FILE PHOTO: US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (L). | Win McNamee / Getty Images

https://www.rt.com/news/596095-us-aid-ukraine-house/

The past months have been a challenging time from occasion to occasion for the U.S. lawmakers as well as for the Biden government officials concerning the Ukraine-related aid bill. Due to the different positions held by the Republicans and the Democrats in the House on this matter, and the former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s arrangement with the Biden Administration in aiding Ukraine, Mr. McCarthy was ousted last October. The current House Speaker Mike Johnson more recently over the Ukraine-related aid bill has been facing a pressure of being ousted as well. In order to obtain the support of his fellow Republican lawmakers, Mr. Johnson had managed to get the former U.S. President Trump to stand with him by arranging a special event. Therefore, in this case, passing the aid bill related to Ukraine somehow also reflected that, in order to put the turmoil between the Republicans and the Democrats led by the Ukraine issue to an end - even just temporarily - the U.S. doesn’t have a better choice at the moment.

The previous $113 aid spent on Ukraine hasn’t enabled it to achieve a favourable position in negotiating with Russia. Some still expect that passing more military aid could help Ukraine reach that position. There is a need to be aware that, apart from the consequences of the failed counteroffensive on the front lines, the domestic situation facing Ukraine now is different from that two years ago. Back in 2022, the Ukrainian public generally appeared to be standing more closely with the Ukrainian authority in the country’s war with Russia. Over the past two years, the domestic situation of Ukraine has undergone dramatic changes. The Ukrainians have been tired of the war. The public approval rating to the Ukrainian leadership has significantly dropped through this period.

On the front lines, one of the serious challenges facing the Ukrainian military has been a lack of manpower. Very recently, in order to secure enough manpower to sustain the fighting on the battlefield, the Ukrainian legislative authority has passed a military mobilization bill, which ordered all the Ukrainians including those staying abroad to update their personal data with the military authority within 60 days should the bill take effect; Besides that, the eligible Ukrainians aged between 18 and 60 must need to always carry their military ID with them; Additionally, in order to keep the soldiers to stay on the front lines as long as possible, the newly passed military mobilization law doesn’t include a demobilization clause.

The soldiers have complained about the new mobilization legislation adopted by the Ukrainian government and felt betrayed. Some critics indicated that this would further divide the Ukrainian public with the Ukrainian authority.

FILE PHOTO: A Ukrainian soldier. | Scott Peterson / Getty Images

https://www.rt.com/russia/595819-ukraine-draft-law-fallout/

Under these circumstances, the nature of the Ukraine war at the current stage seems to have changed - from attempting to get back the lost Ukrainian territories to helping the Ukrainian authority stay on power, as once Russia and Ukraine sign an agreement and end the war, a new election in Ukraine will have to take place, and then, the issue of whether or not the Ukrainian leadership can still stay in office would be a question. Therefore, as far as the war keeps going, the current Ukrainian government will be able to hold on power.

The prices paid by the Ukrainians have already been very high for serving the needs of a certain number of people and of interest entities. The Americans have also paid a price in a different way for the Ukraine war in the meantime.

To the current stage, the election to be held in the U.S. would be very critical for the Americans, the Ukrainians, and the Europeans, as the outcome of it might be able to help change the status quo of Ukraine’s war with Russia.