After nearly six months of fighting in Ukraine and the prospect of a drawn-out war there, US President Joe Biden's European allies are asking whether the United States will soon be tired, according to The Economist.

And the British magazine reported - in a report - that Biden, who pledged to support Ukraine "no matter how long it takes", is hated even more than his predecessor Donald Trump at this point in his presidential term;

"Inflation and rising fuel prices are eroding Americans' purchasing power. Republicans are set to make significant gains in the November midterm elections, as they are expected to control the House and possibly the Senate."

The magazine pointed to a recent comment by Chris Coons, a Democratic senator and close ally of Biden who is sometimes called the "shadow secretary of state", in which he expressed concern about the "commitment of the American people and their elected leaders to continue the course as the invasion continues."

Koons had told The Economist on July 14 that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "is counting on the West to lose focus."

No confirmation down support

Support for Ukraine is supposed to continue until the end of the current fiscal year, which falls on September 30, but no one is quite sure when the money will run out.

Few in Congress believe another large package of support can be passed to Ukraine before the midterm elections, while many say it may not be possible afterwards.

Given the deeply polarized United States, it is perhaps not surprising that Republicans suspect that the Democratic-led administration is fighting a proxy war in Ukraine.

According to the magazine's report, the number of Americans willing to pay an economic price for supporting Ukraine is less than the support sent last March at the start of the war.


The widening gap between the two parties

However, a recent survey by the University of Maryland showed that the gap between Democrats and Republicans is also widening.

78% of Democrats said they would accept buying more expensive fuel, and 72% said they would incur more inflation to help Ukraine, compared to only 44% and 39%, respectively, of Republicans who said they would.

The magazine quoted aides to members of Congress saying that there are 3 factors that are likely to affect support for Ukraine;

The first is the makeup of Congress after the midterm elections.

If the Republicans regain a majority in either chamber of Congress, the question is which faction in the party will have the upper hand?

Democrat warns of halt in support if Republicans advance

Democratic Representative Robin Gallego tweeted: "If Republicans take control of the House in 2022, our support for Ukraine will stop."

He predicted that Republican Party leaders would not be able to prevent Trump followers - such as Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt Gaetz - "from dictating our Ukraine policy."

The second factor is the willingness of the allies to continue supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia.

"How will our European partners do?" Koons asks, noting that for most Americans, Ukraine "is in the other half of the world."

The magazine comments on this by saying that European countries are close to Russia, and therefore they are more vulnerable to military escalation, the loss of Russian energy supplies and the influx of refugees.

The progression of the fight is decisive

Perhaps the biggest consideration - according to the Economist report - lies in the third factor of progress on the battlefields.

If Biden can prove that Ukraine is winning "rather than sinking into another eternal war, it will be easier to rally support."

But it seems that we are - most likely - facing a protracted conflict, according to the magazine, in a tone dominated by pessimism.

The report goes on to emphasize that Biden's goal in the war is not clear, as his administration has stopped talking about helping Ukraine achieve victory, but instead talk about preventing it from being defeated.

Some see the war as lost, and say the Biden administration should expedite a diplomatic agreement.

But Ukraine's supporters in the United States - Democrats and Republicans - believe that Biden should speed up winning the war by giving Ukraine more military aid and accepting more risks.