The control of the Republican Party over the lower house of the American Congress may not decrease, but on the contrary, improve the quality and quantity of the United Statesʼ aid to Ukraine, according to the former adviser of the US President George W. Bush, Jr. on national security issues, Michael Allen. In a column for Politico, he outlines the steps to achieve this. First of all, it is really necessary to conduct an audit of the American aid to Ukraine ― so that later "we will be able to look the taxpayers in the eyes and explain why Kyiv needs more money for aid." However, it is not necessary to check every check ― you just need to clarify priorities. Donʼt allocate money to inefficient international organizations, do not finance secondary programs of state development ― the aid should be directed directly to Ukraineʼs victory in the war. According to Allen, Republican control could improve the process. Secondly, the question of the effectiveness of aid should not be asked of Ukraine, but of Europe, which many in the States perceive as a "free rider" trying to get through the crisis at the expense of the United States. There are especially many questions about Germany, which often promises something through force ― and then does not fulfill these promises. This was the case, for example, with the supply of tanks to Ukraine. Germany, writes Allen, should tell its partners about its approach of "change through trade" ― attempts to achieve progress in the situation in Russia through special business conditions with it. "Experience shows that there is much more trade than change in this practice," says Allen. The fund, which is supposed to pay for the replacement of old weapons (which European countries send to Ukraine) with new ones from the USA, is being filled with great problems and delays ― and this issue should also be raised more acutely. More active and decisive help from Europe could strengthen support for Ukraine from the States, including American voters, the column says. After all, Allen has an argument for those Republicans who are skeptical about helping Ukraine. Their attention should be drawn to the fact that Russiaʼs de facto ally in this war is China: relations between Beijing and Moscow are now unprecedentedly close. If the Kremlin wins this war, it will also be a victory for China and may inspire it to take further aggressive steps. Therefore, the loss of Kyiv and its allies in this war may cost the world too much. And ultimately, Allen concludes, itʼs not about supporting someone who is weak and unmotivated. "The Ukrainians have the Russians on the run and need more time and arms to finish the job," he writes.
There are many bright moments in the actions of the Ukrainian army against the Russian fleet in this war, but the recent attack of surface drones on the ships of the occupiers in Sevastopol Bay will have the greatest impact on future wars. This is the opinion of H I Sutton, columnist for Naval News and the author of several books on modern naval battles. According to his description, the water drones used by Ukraine can be compared to the Iranian Shaheds: relatively inexpensive, quickly assembled from components available on the civilian market, they can cause significant damage to large ships. During that attack, Russian ships were "scratched", but the precedent itself is important, as well as the fact that the largest ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet now almost never go to the open sea. "Who would have thought 9 months ago that Ukraine would actually drive the Russian fleet into the harbor?" Sutton wonders. Now the effect of surprise is lost and the attacks of such drones may not be so successful, but the main thing here is their number. Due to the relative cheapness, it is possible to launch at least swarms of such drones against ships ― some will reach the target. Fleets of advanced countries used drones before, but they were expensive, filled with specialized equipment and used mainly for reconnaissance. It turned out that a surface drone filled with explosives is no less useful in war.
The American public broadcaster NPR published a report from the African hinterland ― and it concerns the Russian-Ukrainian war. The article is about the family of Youssouf Ibrahim Abderaman from a city of 50,000 people in the south of the Sahara, in the country of Chad. Every day he with 9 children and an incomprehensible number of grandchildren (Yusuf could not name the exact number) wakes up at dawn and has breakfast. It is usually a fried bread and a glass of sweet green tea. Then the man goes to the city: he is a handyman there. "Sometimes I earn enough to eat for a whole day, sometimes for half a day. Sometimes I donʼt bring anything home at all," he says. "When there is less food, only the children eat, not me." This year, according to Abderaman, number of such days has increased. The economy is hampered by high fuel and food prices, as well as international instability. The manʼs words are confirmed at the bakery in the city where Youssouf works. French baguettes are still baked there ― a consequence of the colonial past. However, the volume of production is much lower than it used to be: flour is expensive, fuel for the stove is too, the number of buyers has decreased. The business is now not working for profit ― but simply to avoid closing down. The same situation in the local market. Prices for some products have increased more than twofold ― in particular, because they are transported deep into Africa not by rail, but by trucks that consume expensive diesel fuel. As a result, cases of malnutrition among local children and their mothers have increased.