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It is a war Ukrainians did not choose, but the country quickly became the tip of the spear in a renewed battle between pro-democratic governments and fascist regimes. Nearly everyone who believes in democracy and the right to self-determination realizes that a Ukrainian victory will deal a major blow to Putin's power base while serving as a cautionary tale to other fascist regimes eyeing illegal land grabs.
As Russia expert and former National Security Counsel Director Fiona Hill recently observed, “This is a great power conflict. ... The third great power conflict in the European space in a little over a century. It’s the end of the existing world order. Our world is not going to be the same as it was before.”
Enter McCarthy, who, eyeing a potential House GOP majority, immediately calls into question U.S. support for Ukraine—a linchpin of the country's courageous and thus far successful stand against Russian aggression. McCarthy's statements also might be an exercise in reciprocal back scratching. Russia and its OPEC+ partners agreed earlier this month to cut oil production in an effort to raise oil prices globally—a move that could redound to the benefit of GOP candidates if gas prices spike in the U.S. over the coming weeks (so far, they have not).
But McCarthy's motivations aside, cutting financial aid and weapons support to Ukraine would be an absolute gift to Putin. GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming found it shameful and dangerous.
“I don’t know that I can say I was surprised, but I think it’s really disgraceful that today Minority Leader McCarthy suggested that if the Republicans get the majority back that we will not continue to provide support for the Ukrainians,” Cheney said at a Harvard Kennedy School event Tuesday. “What’s happening in Ukraine today shows that democracy must be better armed than tyranny,” she added.
But democracy won’t be better armed under GOP leadership in Congress. McCarthy just put American voters on notice that Republicans plan to cripple Ukraine's fight against tyranny.
It's just one more extremely unpopular GOP stance (alongside things like passing a national abortion ban and sunsetting Medicare and Social Security). The October Daily Kos/Civiqs survey found that 71% of registered voters are pulling for Ukraine to prevail in the war, 54% of whom deem it "very important" that Ukraine win. Once more, a new University of Maryland poll also found that 60% of Americans are willing to pay higher energy costs to help Ukraine win, almost unchanged since 62% said the same thing in June, just four months into the conflict.
At the same time, just 4% of voters are pulling for a Russian victory, according to the Daily Kos/Civiqs survey. McCarthy has cast his lot with them.
A solid majority of Americans are clear about the existential threat Russian aggression poses to American democracy. What is perhaps less clear to American voters is the existential threat the Republican Party poses to American democracy.
It shouldn't be a mystery. McCarthy just made it plain that Republicans plan to aid and abet Putin's war against Ukraine, strengthening his fascist grip on the region and emboldening despots around the world.
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