Harris likely to struggle with pushing Ukraine aid through Congress if elected, Bloomberg reports
The U.S. might eventually scale down support for Ukraine even if Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 27, citing undisclosed Western official sources.
Even if Harris sits in the White House, her administration will probably struggle to pass significant resources for Ukraine through U.S. Congress, the outlet wrote.
The vice president will face Republican nominee and ex-President Donald Trump on Nov. 5 in an election often described as pivotal for Washinton's future support for Ukraine.
While Harris is largely expected to continue the Kyiv-friendly policy of President Joe Biden, there are fears that Trump would seek to cut a deal with the Kremlin to achieve a faster resolution, even at the cost of painful concessions by Ukraine.
Ukraine, which continues to face heavy onslaught by Russian forces in the country's east, can likely expect a decrease in U.S. assistance in any case as the fatigue in the West grows, according to Bloomberg.
The Republican-led House of Representatives, the legislature's lower chamber, resisted the adoption of a $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine for many months, directly contributing to Ukraine's setbacks on the battlefield.
During the lull in U.S. assistance, Ukrainian forces were forced to withdraw from the stronghold of Avdiivka in February under the barrage of Russian bombs and artillery shells, underscoring the key role of Washington's support.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has repeatedly derailed the vote on the bill before finally introducing it in April, recently said he has no "appetite for further Ukraine funding" and hopes that a November electoral victory for Trump will bring a swift end to the war.
Washington has allocated some $175 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. This included $64 billion in military aid, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
Facing Russian advances and the weakening support from partners, President Volodymyr Zelensky has pitched a five-step victory plan for ending the war by 2025. The proposal includes additional defense assistance, an immediate invitation to join NATO, and the lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes against Russia, among other steps.
Owen Racer
