Anna Husarska is a journalist and policy analyst.
KHARKIV, Ukraine — There was something surreal in discussing the possibility of a wider Middle East war while outside, in the most exposed of Ukrainian towns, the air-raid sirens were wailing, signaling a threat of a wider European war.
Last weekend in Kharkiv, as in so many other places, Iran’s attacks on Israel were the talk of the town. Standing on the city’s empty Freedom Square, my friend Olga Shpak — a volunteer with Assist Ukraine — and I were weighing what the possible scenarios meant for Ukraine. The optimistic approach went: If Israel hits Iran, perhaps there will be fewer Iranian-made Shahed drones for Russia to use against Ukraine? And, if Iran continues its attacks on Israel, perhaps the U.S. Congress will expedite a military aid package for both Israel and Ukraine? Then, pessimism crept in: What if House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) separates the package, and military aid is sent to Israel but not to Ukraine? Ukrainians understand well that the two countries are not equally important to the United States and its allies.
