Eastern Europe Flank in Critical
DC 9.11pm
It’s never easy to see friends fight. Especially when there’s a war on.
In DC, while Congress debates more supplemental funding for Ukraine, President Biden said he’s “counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress. There is no alternative.” Maybe Biden will get help again by senior GOP Senator Addison Mitchell McConnell III. Senator Mitch is the toughest GOP who repeatedly convinced his colleague in the GOP to support Ukraine “whatever cost.”
In NYC, two friends, Poland and Ukraine, in critical spat.
The latter is a crucial ally to Kyiv and the key gateway for economic and military aid aimed at stopping Russia’s invasion.
Poland and Ukraine spat at each other, and for context, Poland is the biggest helper for Ukraine in terms of “percent of GDP” for donating-supporting to Ukraine. Last November 2022, some missile fells in Przewodow Poland nearly made NATO start to invade Moscow. For more context on how Poland is strategic, 11 weeks ago, The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $15 billion sale of an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) and related equipment to Poland as it upgrades its air defenses.
European interest in U.S. weaponry has increased with demand centered around such supplies as munitions, air defenses, communications equipment, shoulder-fired Javelin missiles and drones which have proven critical to Ukraine's war efforts.
The package would include 48 Patriot launch stations and 644 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC) 3 Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) interceptor missiles, network links, sensors, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.
What started as an argument over Poland’s ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on its territory rapidly spiraled into a full-blown crisis.
The latest round of verbal fisticuffs started when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking at the United Nations, accused some European Union members (he didn’t say who) of appeasing Russia. President Andrzej Duda responded by comparing Kyiv to “a drowning man” that could drag Poland under.
Then Warsaw announced it had stopped sending more arms to its neighbor before walking back the statement. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also said he could add more Ukrainian goods to the ban and his government summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to complain.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Zelenskiy as he appeals to world leaders at the UN to step up deliveries of weapons and cash and his troops push on with a grinding counter offensive to retake occupied territory.
The Ukrainians blame the entire imbroglio on domestic politics in Poland, where the ruling Law & Justice party is trying to win a third consecutive term in Oct. 15 elections. The ban on grain sales — which Ukraine desperately needs to fund the war — is seen as an attempt to appease farmers who make up a crucial voting bloc that may decide who leads the next government.
There’s also the roughly 2 million Ukrainian refugees who’ve fled to Poland. Law & Justice said it will probably cut off subsidies to them next year.
While Poland appeared to be seeking to calm the situation today, the dispute cast doubt over Europe’s commitment to Ukraine over the long haul. And the once-strong friendship between allies may never be the same.
Zelenskiy meets US President Joe Biden today in Washington to press for sustained support to battle Russia’s invasion but a very different reception awaits him this time in Congress. A year ago, over the Christmas period, support was unwavering and universal. Now, many Republicans, who control the House, want to sever funding. As one leading Democrat put it: “I cannot think of a worse welcome for Zelenskiy.”