WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE.....

The Republican party appears more and more indifferent or even hostile to America's European allies. By starving Ukraine, blocking US support, it plays a despicable game. It acts like a Putin's de facto ally, and further weakens NATO's cohesion. All this is also made possible because a large part of public opinion in the US is becoming more provincial, while the range of global alerts is still growing. This apathy is not new. FDR had to force the country into entering World War II by a mobilization of all possible means after the Pearl Harbor shock-wave.

Europeans, by contrast, ask not if there will be war, but when. In the short term this might be over pessimistic, but it might also become a self-fulfilling prophecy given that the eventual combination of a Trump/Putin "understanding" is the worst of scenarios.

Besides, Germany often feels like an unreliable partner and France's Macron-style might not outlast his presidency. Europe is in reality a house divided. Without an American stewardship it might further be diluted, not unlike a falling apart of former lovers who cheat out of boredom.

Ukraine finds itself in a difficult situation. The Kiev photo shoot is a must for Western leaders who arrive with more press than quantitative support, while the promised hard-core help is still in limbo. 

The Republicans in Washington have become a horde of deranged individuals worshipping a golden calf. If Trump were to win, Europeans had better regroup. Fortunately he acts more deranged than ever and Americans might start to feel uneasy when confronted on a daily basis by his histrionics. Biden does well to play discreet and just deliver enviable economic success. The Democrats have their own left-wing lunatics, but their agenda is genuine and at has at least some intellectual merit.

One must hope that Republicans may still live up to their former principled selves. To arrive at a moment of lucidity they must get rid of the deranged souls in their midst. Unfortunately, there are too many "rotten apple" stories that prove that getting the House in order is easier said than done. 

The ones who applauded Zelensky months ago should finally consider follow-up on their promise. Ukraine is becoming the litmus test for determination.