{"id":43611,"date":"2019-09-26T19:46:40","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T19:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/26\/us-policy-toward-ukraine-gets-more-complicated\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:34:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:34:20","slug":"us-policy-toward-ukraine-gets-more-complicated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/editorial\/2019\/09\/26\/us-policy-toward-ukraine-gets-more-complicated\/","title":{"rendered":"US policy toward Ukraine gets more complicated"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ukraine has always been a complicated ally to the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European country is vulnerable, with a geography, a history and an ongoing conflict \u2014 a war, if you ask Ukrainian leadership \u2014 that places it squarely in the crosshairs of Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That also makes Ukraine incredibly strategic to the United States and NATO at large. But just as the U.S. alliance with Israel can cause some heartburn, so do efforts to find the perfect balance with Ukraine. Too much military support for Ukraine could be viewed as poking the bear to the east. And unlike Israel, a military strength all its own that provides much-needed stability in the Middle East, Ukraine is struggling to establish its own military capability. Also unlike Israel, Ukraine\u2019s conflict is not reflective of an unstable region but rather a geopolitical battle with a single hostile neighbor. Certainly Eastern Europe\u2019s own defense investments are driven by Russian aggression, but Ukraine\u2019s conflict is quite distinct, anchored in the annexation of Crimea. Military support from allies sends a far more targeted message: less about stability, less about countering Russia\u2019s hybrid warfare tactics, and more about choosing sides. The U.S. \u2014 and NATO at large \u2014 must tread carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But make no mistake: Ukraine is desperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These factors have of course been at the core of an ongoing debate about whether supplying Ukraine with arms<\/a> could make a tense situation worse. And Ukrainian corruption only adds another layer of complexity. Most recently we\u2019ve watched Ukraine\u2019s defense industry arm, Ukroboronprom, try to overcome a scandal of mismanagement that ironically involves a kickback scheme to smuggle Russian military gear into Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That context is important to consider amid the impeachment inquiry launched by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. At the center of the debate is $391 million in military aid that President Donald Trump reportedly asked his staff to freeze for two months before dropping the hold a week ago, under pressure from lawmakers. And then there\u2019s that July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine\u2019s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy asked to buy American-made Javelin anti-tank weapons, and Trump asked Zelenskiy to work with U.S. officials to investigate a political rival.<\/p>\n\n\n\t