‘Squad’ Democrats Pile Pressure on Biden To Shift Course on Ukraine

A group of 30 congressional Democrats, including the so-called progressive “squad” members, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, is urging President Biden to take a softer tack with Vladimir Putin in the hope of ending the Russian strongman’s war on Ukraine. The chief signatory of the letter is Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Democrat from Washington who is chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus. In the letter, Mr. Biden is urged “to pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.” It adds that “as legislators responsible for the expenditure of tens of billions of US taxpayer dollars in military assistance in the conflict, we believe such involvement in this war also creates a responsibility for the United States to seriously consider all possible avenues, including direct engagement with Russia.”The letter’s sentiment faintly echoes that of some European outliers with respect to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its eighth month. The most extreme instance of that is Silvio Berlusconi, who is part of Italy’s new governing coalition and who has assigned to Ukraine more blame for the war than Russia. On the other hand, the more well-spoken French president has fine-tuned his message lately. At Rome this week, President Macron said it’s up to Ukraine to decide the time and terms of peace with Russia. The Biden administration has not challenged that view.The Washington Post reported that the Democrats are “specifically concerned” that America is not having a “regular dialogue with Russia as part of its effort to end a protracted war that has caused thousands of deaths and displaced 13 million people.” Words and letters mean less to Ukraine, which is still slugging it out with Russia despite the latter’s stream of battlefield setbacks, and is presently reeling from power outages due to Russia’s continued strikes on civilian infrastructure. But the Democrats’ letter could put more pressure on Mr. Biden ahead of the midterm elections in November. Ukraine is also likely to dominate the agenda at the G20 summit in Indonesia next month, which Messrs. Biden and Putin are expected to attend. Direct talks between the leaders is however considered unlikely.“Given the destruction created by this war for Ukraine and the world, as well as the risk of catastrophic escalation, we … believe it is in the interests of Ukraine, the United States, and the world to avoid a prolonged conflict,” Ms. Jayapal also wrote in the missive.Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February, Washington has spent more than $60 billion on military, economic, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine — far more than has been spent by any of its European allies. The House GOP leader, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, said last week that Republicans will not write a “blank check” for Ukraine if they win the House majority in November. Mr. McCarthy since has made no attempt to walk back his comment, telling CNBC subsequently that while he thinks Ukraine is “very important” and that he supports “making sure that we move forward to defeat Russia in that program,” he also insists “there should be no blank check on anything. We are $31 trillion in debt.”Congress has to date provided the White House with nearly all the funding and weapons it has requested for Ukraine, but surveys show public support for the war effort is less robust than it has been previously. According to a Pew Research poll, the percentage of Americans who are extremely or very worried about a Ukrainian defeat slipped to 38 percent in September from 55 percent in May.The Democrats’ letter appears to be somewhat out of sync with at least one section of the executive branch. The state department spokesman, Ned Price, told reporters, “Right now, we have heard from Ukrainian partners, repeatedly, that this war will only end through diplomacy and dialogue,” adding, “we have not heard any reciprocal statement or refrain from Moscow that they are ready in good faith to engage in that diplomacy and dialogue.”Congressional stirrings notwithstanding, the most important dialogue right now is arguably that which occurs at the highest levels — between the Kremlin and the Pentagon. The defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, recently spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, for the first time in months. The two spoke by phone on Friday and again on Sunday. According to multiple sources, this was at Mr. Shoigu’s request.That communication, whatever the specifics, underscores both the fragility and volatility of the situation in Ukraine as winter approaches — and how events on the ground can render even the most eloquent of letters somewhat less relevant.

‘Squad’ Democrats Pile Pressure on Biden To Shift Course on Ukraine

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