The Ukraine breakthrough in Washington lets the allies breathe a sigh of relief. But in the worst case scenario, only a few months have been gained. The biggest tasks still lie ahead.
In the middle of Las Vegas, Metin Hakverdi achieves salvation from Washington. The push messages are raining down on the smartphone of the SPD member of the Bundestag. “The House of Representatives strongly approves $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after Speaker Mike Johnson mobilized bipartisan support,” reads a breaking news story in the New York Times. Finally it’s done. After months of blockade by Trump’s Republicans, US lawmakers approve the aid packages. $61 billion goes to Ukraine.
Metin Hakverdi, 54, born in Hamburg, is traveling to the so-called swing states in these crucial days. In the states that are particularly hotly contested between Republicans and Democrats and therefore crucial for the presidential election, the SPD politician from Hamburg-Bergedorf, Helmut Schmidt’s former constituency, wants to get an idea of the possible outcome in the fall. Hakverdi was in Arizona, among other places. When the Ukraine news came from Washington, he was meeting with the works council of the Culinary Worker Union, which is influential in the state of Nevada and has 60,000 members. They support the re-election of Joe Biden.
Doubt until the end
But a fateful foreign policy decision loomed like a shadow on this domestic policy journey of the proven transatlanticist. Can the US continue to provide substantial support to Ukraine? Or are Germany and the European states, despite all their efforts, alone in the defensive battle against Vladimir Putin? A few days ago, Hakverdi met with American MP Jason Crow in Washington. The Democrat from the state of Colorado tried to allay the German’s worries. “I’m optimistic,” Crow told Hakverdi in his congressional office.
Until the end, the SPD member could not rely on the fact that after all the months of unsuccessful attempts it would actually work. Until the very end, the Social Democrat wanted to hold back from making overly positive assessments of the situation here in the country.
A strong signal and perhaps a turning point in the war
He is all the more relieved now and with him the federal government, the entire West, the expanded Ukraine alliance and a vast majority of the international community. 311 Democratic and Republican MPs voted for the Ukraine package. 112 refused help.
“This decision by the US Congress to support Ukraine is a bitter signal for Vladimir Putin,” says Hakverdi. Because it shows that the USA is there when it matters. What is now crucial for the war is: “Russia now has to reckon with twice the power. Firstly, with a massive increase in European support and further large-scale commitment from the USA,” said Hakverdi.
The SPD man hopes that this foreign policy signal will have such huge consequences that the course of the war may even take a decisive turn against Russia. A Putin who sees himself forced to come to the negotiating table – that has been a scenario in recent months that no longer even seemed conceivable. This remains a modest hope for Ukraine even after the Congress decision.
But for Metin Hakverdi there is something else: “Putin’s hopes for a strong Donald Trump could prove wrong with this decision from Washington,” he says. For the former US President, this bipartisan compromise for Ukraine is a bitter defeat within the party. And that in turn could mean: good news for the autumn elections, for Ukraine, for Germany and the other allies.
