Editorial: The US sees sense and passes a major aid package for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia

​One of the most malign influences of Donald Trump has been to introduce uncertainty over American support for Ukraine.

Mr Trump’s Republican Party is now ambivalent about supporting Kyiv in its ongoing fight for survival, more than two years after the Russian invasion.

Not so long ago, under the post-war American presidencies such as that of Ronald Reagan, there would have been no doubt about US support for Ukraine in such circumstances. There would have been no doubt about American support for Taiwan, if China was to invade. And there would have been no doubt about US backing for Israel.

Now it is if anything the US Democratic Party of Joe Biden that is most likely to see how crucial such displays of support are as a way of deterring aggression.

Any unionist who follows international affairs to even a cursory degree will be particularly dismayed to see the Republican Party turn towards isolationism. In recent decades it has tended to see eye-to-eye with UK governments on foreign affairs, and has known not to interfere in Northern Ireland.

Yet Mr Biden’s administration, which through its influence played a significant role in bringing about an Irish Sea trade barrier, has like the ​UK seen the great importance of backing the Ukrainians, the Israelis and showing clear moral support for Taiwan.

President Putin will have taken great comfort in the way in which ongoing US aid to Ukraine has been put in doubt.

Now a badly needed support package has been passed by the US House of Representatives in a rare Saturday sitting. Thank goodness Democrats and most Republicans have found common cause on this vital matter and sent a signal to tyrants and would-be tyrants as to where the world’s superpower stands when it comes to invasions.