“I think people are going to be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine. They just won’t do it.” With those words, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy sparked significant panic in European capitals, with foreign diplomats fearing that a Republican victory in the midterms would lead to diminished US support for Ukraine. Yet the red wave didn’t materialize for McCarthy and the GOP. As we recorded this episode, the House had still not been called either way. Nevertheless, the election results do raise important questions for Europe as it thinks about how Congress, which is in charge of allocating funds for Ukraine, will approach the conflict under new leadership. In this bonus episode, Francois and Julian discussed the impact of the US midterms on Ukraine, as well as how France missed its moment to push for strategic autonomy in the aftermath of the Russian invasion.

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