US midterm elections to shape future of Washington's support for Ukraine

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - US support for Ukraine has been pivotal in Kyiv's resistance against Russian missile and drone strikes on critical infrastructure, as well as in its efforts to liberate territories held by Moscow and the separatist forces it backs.

Most recently, Washington on Friday announced a new $400 million military aid package, including funding to refurbish HAWK air defense missiles for future transfers to Ukraine, 45 refurbished T-72B tanks with updated optics, communications and armor packages, and 1,100 Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his US counterpart Joe Biden for the latest round of assistance, pointing in particular to the supply of armored vehicles that he said would "help us liberate Ukrainian land."

With the latest funding, the US military aid given to Ukraine under the Biden administration has reached more than $18.9 billion.

However, Washington's generosity to Kyiv may change course in the coming months depending on the results of the US midterm elections on Tuesday.

- No 'blank check' from Republicans

In an interview by the website Punchbowl News, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republicans would not write a "blank check" for Ukraine if they win back the majority in the House of Representatives.

"I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they're not going to write a blank check to Ukraine," McCarthy was quoted as saying.

These views are in stark contrast to the White House, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre underlining Biden's "unflinching and unwavering" support for Kyiv -- sentiments reiterated by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a visit to Ukraine on Friday.

McCarthy's comments circulated in international and US media as an indication of the midterms' possible impact on future US support to Ukraine, as well as of the political divide among US politicians.

- Push for Kyiv-Moscow talks

Elsewhere, Western outlets have reported on US efforts to convince Ukraine to engage in talks with Russia.

According to a Washington Post report on Saturday, the US privately told Ukraine to be open to talks with Russia, asking officials in Kyiv to abandon their condition for peace negotiations that Russian President Vladimir Putin be removed from power.

Last month, Zelenskyy signed a decree declaring Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine null and void, following a previous decision on Sept. 30 that stated the "impossibility of negotiations" with Putin.

In what may suggest a change in Ukrainian policy, however, Zelenskyy on Tuesday announced further conditions for talks with Russia, calling on Moscow to comply with the UN Charter and pay compensation for losses caused by the ongoing war.

In the video address at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference, the Ukrainian leader reiterated previous calls for the restoration of his country's territorial integrity, the punishment of war criminals, and guarantees that similar conflicts would never occur again.