Europeans will have to put their money where their mouth is to maintain relations with the US over Ukraine – and deliver a “one war plan,” or face friction with Washington, Jeremy Shapiro, Research Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote in a commentary on Oct. 3.
He notes that 11 senators voted against the Biden administration’s proposed $40 billion aid package to Ukraine. A growing chorus of leading figures began to ask: if the rich Europeans are not going to adequately fund a war on the European continent, why should America do it?
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Shapiro warns that the current trickle of “blame Europe” arguments may turn into a torrent if the Republicans take control of Congress in November
He explains that The war in Ukraine has largely settled the 2 per cent debate, as most NATO members have effectively moved past that threshold. But, given Congressional reluctance to spend ever-greater sums on Ukraine, the broader issue will remain as acute as ever. It seems likely that, in Washington, the Ukraine military assistance numbers will provide a new measurable way to complain about Europe’s free-riding.
To sustain US funding, Europeans need to proactively take the lead in giving assistance to Ukraine…But if they do not, Ukraine could soon become a highly divisive issue within the transatlantic alliance, Schapiro concludes.
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