David Frum, a one-time Republican insider who served as a speechwriter to former President George W. Bush, argued that former President Donald Trump's influence is the only logical explanation for why so many Republicans have found it acceptable to hold military aid for Ukraine hostage.
Writing in The Atlantic, Frum argued that it was impossible to imagine the pre-Trump Republican Party hanging an American ally out to dry so blatantly, especially given that the GOP used to be much more hawkish on Russia than Democrats.
However, Frum believes that the "sinister special relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin," in which Trump has repeatedly heaped gushing praise on the Russian strongman, has made Republicans view Ukraine as "expendable" in a way they never would have in the past.
"From 2015 to 2017, Republican opinion shifted markedly in a pro-Russia and pro-Putin direction," Frum explains. "In 2017, more than a third of surveyed Republicans expressed favorable views of Putin. By 2019, Carlson — who had risen to the top place among Fox News hosts—was regularly promoting pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian messages to his conservative audience. His success inspired imitators among many other conservative would-be media stars."
Frum goes on to document how most Republicans thought helping Ukraine resist Russia's unprovoked invasion of their country was crucial for global security, only to see their resolve whittled away by Trump-friendly media figures.
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He concludes by predicting things could get even grimmer for Ukraine the closer Trump gets to securing the Republican Party presidential nomination again.
"Solidarity with Ukraine has faltered as support for Trump has consolidated," he warns. "Make no mistake: If Republicans in Congress abandon Ukraine to Russian aggression, they do so to please Trump. Every other excuse is a fiction or a lie."