The Conservatives want to put pressure on the Biden administration and snatch its concessions “
US Republicans have blocked further approval of the country's defense budget for next fiscal year by the US Senate. According to the head of the Senate party, Mitch McConnell, this happened because the Democrats did not allow the approval of a number of proposals. In particular, no decision was made on the provision of military assistance to Ukraine and sanctions against Nord Stream 2. The expert named the main reason for blocking the budget.
Photo: pixabay.com next acceptance The bill did not receive 60 votes out of 100 required by a simple majority.
On the eve of the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell stressed that his faction did not support such a decision without a detailed discussion of the “Russian threat.” According to him, the project did not contain proposals for the provision of military assistance to Ukraine and sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“There are two problems facing the US Senate,” said MK Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the US and Canadian Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – The first is the vote on a major bill to expand social programs. Sometimes called Infrastructure Project # 2. He passed the House of Representatives and is now before the Senate. The second very important point relates to public debt. The situation is getting worse. Today, the question is again how Congress will react to raising its ceiling. In principle, the United States may find itself on the brink of technical failure. Another bill on the military budget is hanging. He was also stuck in the Senate.
And in this regard, the most important task for former US leader Donald Trump and the Republican leadership has been set – to use this situation, especially the state debt situation, to put pressure on the administration and snatch some concessions. of which. In fact, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has chosen to do so. The first is the strengthening of the military component – the continuation of the active use of the “Ukrainian card” against Russia. Perhaps this is part of Republicans' general orientation to using anti-Russian rhetoric to increase self-esteem.
Regarding Nord Stream 2, Republicans maintain their current position – to disrupt the operation of the pipeline. Congress even passed legislation last year. However, Joe Biden's administration backed down and suspended sanctions. Yet Republicans are not abandoning their plans.
Republicans are beginning to take advantage of the situation as a lever on the administration. However, it is still unclear how much he can bend. For one simple reason: there are other areas where a compromise can be reached between Republicans and Democrats. For example, they can change something in spending items – increase somewhere, decrease somewhere.
At the same time, everything related to Russia and Nord Stream 2 is more of a political PR. Republicans are trying to raise political capital before the 2022 election. There is constant talk that Ukraine can be used as a card for exchange in Washington-Moscow relations.
Therefore, no tough action can be expected from the US administration against Russia. These are just symbolic steps. For example, sanctions may be imposed on ships and companies involved in the implementation of the pipeline project, or military assistance to Ukraine may be increased. But at the same time, to avoid a conflict situation with the Russian Federation today. Today, according to some signals, Washington would like to avoid it. “
According to the expert, it is necessary to wait until the situation is clear. The administration, despite all the confusion in the situation, still has some steps and exits.
“It can ease this pressure a bit, as I said. we will limit ourselves to symbolic steps and release everything from the brakes, – the political scientist continues. – Especially against the background of talks on the forthcoming Putin and Biden summit. It is possible that it will happen by the end of the year. And here it must be borne in mind that Republicans and certain types of forces in the Democratic Party will try to disrupt this encounter. It is not even a question of the Russian side being able to obtain unilateral concessions, given that today the Biden administration is in a vulnerable position. He is more interested in this meeting than in the Russian Federation.
Moscow can really bend Washington. This is an unprecedented situation. However, it developed after the Taliban (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation – MK) seized power in Afghanistan. Some circles in the US fear that Biden will be driven into a corner. “