Ukrainian military chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny’s characterization of the war against Russia as a stalemate in a Nov. 1 interview with The Economist is reportedly causing an uproar on Capitol Hill. Zaluzhny’s “stunning admission” is “reverberating” on Capitol Hill—where Republicans are arguing his comments are a reason to rethink America’s as-long-as-it-takes support for Kiev, Politico reported on Nov. 3 ... and that could make Ukraine’s uphill climb against Russia and in the halls of Congress even steeper.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a skeptic of more aid to Kiev, said that Zaluzhny’s candor blew a major hole in the administration’s Ukraine policy. Their pitch, Hawley contended, is “we need to keep funding Ukraine, in all aspects, not just militarily, we need to provide money for their pensions and all the rest so that it can remain a stalemate.”
“That naturally raises the question: What exactly is our endgame strategy?” he asked. “What’s the plan here? I don’t think they have a plan.”
Zaluzhny’s assessment is “consistent with what we’ve been informed,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “There was hope that they would make more gains,” he continued, hoping that Ukraine can hold what it has taken back from Russia with America’s support.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), who has openly called for ending military assistance to Kiev, said Zaluzhny’s remarks expose deep-lying fractures within Ukraine’s leadership. “[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s war aims are not consistent with reality, and you have some of his inner circle pushing back,” he told reporters at the Capitol on Nov. 2. “This was always going to end with Russia controlling some Ukrainian territory and a negotiated settlement. I’ve been saying it for a year. It was obvious to anybody who paid attention to realities on the ground.”
Politico notes that Vance and Hawley’s arguments are still the minority view in the Senate, where most senators from both parties still say they want to keep helping Ukraine push past the stalemate. But the protestations are finding a larger audience, especially as the nation’s attention turns to helping Israel in its war against Hamas.
