Former President Donald Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet about the Ukraine aid bill.
He hasn’t been posting on social media or issuing any public instructions to his Republican colleagues over how to vote.
That’s unusual, especially as Trump is a well-known sceptic of international alliances in general, and of supporting Ukraine in particular.
He has often spoken warmly about Vladimir Putin and has previously said he would “end” the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours.”
Many in Europe fear that this would mean trying to force the Ukrainians into accepting an unfavourable peace deal with the Kremlin.
But Trump hasn’t opposed the Ukraine aid proposal, and has publicly stood by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is battling to fend off a challenge to oust him over the bill.
Perhaps Trump has bigger fish to fry at the moment - namely, his New York court case, as well as three other criminal trials in the pipeline.
But there could be another reason.
Two days ago, in New York, Trump had dinner with the Polish President Andrzej Duda.
The two men are good friends and politically aligned.
It’s possible that Duda, who knows better than most the importance of supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russian aggression, had a word in his ear about the Ukraine aid bill, and convinced the former President to let it pass.
