The Christmas spirit, which is reflected visually in an extraordinary display of light decoration, will be colorful. But the red carpet to receive the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is becoming increasingly thin.
Zelenski returns to Washington today, Tuesday, invited by President Joe Biden, after his Administration announced last week that the coffers are almost empty and to rush lawmakers to approve an appropriation of at least 60,000 million to be able to maintain the aid military in Kyiv in the war against the Russian invader.
Republican legislators in general, and in particular the most ultra sector of the Lower House, acted as if they heard rain. More money for Ukraine? Agreed, although it is also necessary to strengthen the security of the southern border and establish policies to reduce the arrival of immigrants by reforming asylum and detention laws.
The visit is a joint move between Biden and his guest to appeal to the mercy that is supposed in this era of good feelings and best wishes for the future.
"The meeting will underscore America's unwavering commitment to the nation in conflict as it resists Russia's invasion," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
"In this circumstance where Russia is escalating missile and drone attacks, the two leaders will address Ukraine's urgent need and the vital importance for the United States to continue providing aid at this crucial time," he said.
The Ukrainian president is at a critical crossroads. The counter-offensive has not produced the expected results. The war front is stagnant, the passage of time is benefiting Vladimir Putin.
And, in his turn, Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, with whom Zelenski spoke on Sunday in Buenos Aires, at the inauguration of Javier Milei, does nothing more than put sticks in the wheels for the European Union to slow down the contributions .
In the US there is not a single name that plays this role. There are many among the Republicans, especially those who defend the nationalist retreat of Trumpism, who do not want to invest more money abroad, and even less against Vladimir Putin. A few days ago, they blocked an emergency $110 billion initiative that was intended for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Senator J.D. Vance, one of Donald Trump's biggest admirers, claimed that Ukraine needs to cede territory to Russia in order to end the war. "This is what interests our country the most," he added to CNN. This declaration, in which the fracture of Ukraine's sovereignty is accepted, makes the opposition of a large part of the conservative legislators in Kyiv very clear and Catalan. The effort stumbles against the schedule. Congress is expected to go into recess this week.
Before going to the White House, Zelenski will meet with senators, where the Democratic majority still embraces him, and meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson, another Republican who is itching to give him a check. blank in Ukraine with no compensation to deal with what is for conservatives the real invasion of the US: the entry of undocumented immigrants from Mexico.
In American society, partly due to the great propaganda machine of the right, there is a fatigue in solidarity with Ukraine, an issue that for many, moreover, has been relegated to the war between Israel and Hamas.
According to a poll by the University of Michigan, almost half (48%) of registered US voters believe that "too much" has been spent on support for Kyiv. This survey confirms the division between political options. The same percentage rises to 65% among Republicans, compared to 52% of independents and 32% of Democrats.
