A group of Republican members of Congress have told President Biden they won’t support more “unrestrained” aid for Ukraine, Responsible Statecraft reported on Thursday.
“A proxy war with Russia in Ukraine is not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control,” the lawmakers said in a letter to the president.
The letter was signed by three Republican senators — Rand Paul (KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and JD Vance (R-OH) — and 16 GOP members of the House. They noted that recent aid the US has pledged, including M1 Abrams tanks, will require months of training, which signals the administration is ready for a long-term conflict.
“The current strategy of sanctions and drawn-out aid will only prolong the conflict, leading to escalation and more violence. Our national and economic security demand an alternative,” the lawmakers wrote. “Unrestrained US aid for Ukraine must come to an end, and we will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”
The lawmakers warned of the risk of provoking a direct war with Russia. “Russian tolerance for fighting a proxy war with NATO could run out at any point. The decision to invade Ukraine should be evidence enough of Putin’s willingness to use military force and should give us pause in continuing to push the limits at the risk of catastrophe,” they said.
Much of the Republican opposition to arming Ukraine is because they believe the US should be focusing on building up its military in the Asia Pacific to prepare for a future conflict with China, which came through in the letter.
“Should our actions entangle us in a confrontation with Russia now or should conflict erupt in the Indo-Pacific in the coming years, we fear that our military will be woefully unprepared to meet these challenges as a direct result of what has been shipped to Ukraine,” they said.
The Republicans close the letter by calling on President Biden to push for a diplomatic solution. “We strongly urge you to advocate for a negotiated peace between the two sides, bringing this awful conflict to a close,” they said.
The Republicans in the House who signed the letter include Reps. Eli Crane (AZ), Mary Miller (IL), Paul Gosar (AZ), Andy Biggs (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Dan Bishop (NC), Barry Moore (AL), Lauren Boebert (CO), Tim Burchett (TN), Andy Ogles (TN), Ralph Norman (SC), Matt Rosendale (MT), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Mike Collins (GA), and Josh Brecheen (OK).
To date, Congress has authorized about $113 billion to spend on the war in Ukraine. The Biden administration is still drawing funds from the $45 billion package approved in December. That aid is expected to be exhausted by the summer, meaning the White House will likely ask Congress to authorize more soon.
Wow, I agree with the republicans!
I am hopeful in-re at least two of the three. Let’s see what they say if/when a Republican president+Congress displaces the Biden regime.
Verify. Then trust. If you dare.
I’d rather see a republican congress with a president Kennedy!!! Trump added to the provocation of Russia along with murdering more people in other countries than Obama did, and his republican challengers look even worse.
Actually, I’d prefer that we abolish our forceful government, but that ain’t going to happen anytime soon!
Both parties instigated the war in Ukraine. McCain and Graham are on video rallying the Nazi militias telling them “Your war is our war” in 2016 long before the invasion.
Yep. Photo op too.
Because both parties are corporations on a tight financial leash.
I didn’t say otherwise. Kennedy is a democrat that actually wants to drain the swamp, unlike Trump who filled his staff with swamp creatures after being elected. Have you heard Kennedy’s announcement speech? His voice is hoarse, but I imagine he has been straining it:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?527511-1/robert-kennedy-jr-announces-2024-presidential-campaign . I very strongly disliked his uncle Ted, but Robert Jr. sounds to me like the best choice from either of the 2 entrenched political powers. Him as president with a republican congress (because they are not the party of ‘woke’ism) would be the best option I can see presently.
He has spasmodic dysphonia according to a friend of mine.
Even IF that was true: He is sadly the best candidate we have!
Oh it wasn’t a derogatory statement. I was simply adding info about why his voice sounds the way it does.
The swamp is all encompassing.
You have not answered my question, and you have not watched the video I supplied! If you happen to be an extremist anarchist; then I would agree with you! The general odds are that you are a statist. If you are a statist, then your eply is meaningless.
I read his interview on realclearnews. I agree with his positions. What I meant about the swamp is that it is the system that is corrupt snd corrupting. However, even if he gets nowhere, it is good to break the spell of corporate propaganda. That is, if people listen.
To all respondents: I redirect attention to the final line of my original comment. YMMV. Hope–as the second Theological Virtue–springs eternal. Literally. No other kind of hope matters.
Exactly. I always thought “Trust, but verify” was a total BS sound bite. If you trust, then why verify? If you verify, then you must not trust? But it sounded smart while Regan was President.
lol
In the mean time, Mitch McConnell is telling Biden to spend as much on the Ukraine as he wants. Are there enough patriots left in Congress to properly serve the citizens instead of special interests or Deep State adventurism?
These people are just gearing up to provoke an unprovoked war with China. Paul was the lone voice in the beginning asking for accountability. And I say this as someone who doesn’t support a lot of his agenda.
No.
The Republicans of course will support funding Ukraine. They have so far. And will continue. They have been foreign adventurists all my lifetime. Look it up.
Drop in the bucket. They have the same kind of influence as “The Squad”.
Remember this:
“The House on Tuesday voted down a War Powers Resolution introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) that would order President Biden to withdraw all US troops from Syria within 180 days.”
“The resolution failed in a vote of 103-321, with 56 Democrats and 47 Republicans voting in favor of the bill.”
There is no anti-war party.
That is what I am saying.
There never was.
Oh no!
Not a stern letter!
So how much has Joe announced this week he plans to send?
There were some snazzy missiles included in this week’s announcement if I recall.
I know their hearts are in the right place (what there is of a heart in a politician) but these types of letters are jokes.
Thanks ZaSu, you made me laugh out loud!
The politics of the US is flipping.
Nope
Just political speak.
Yes, but they seem to be forgetting two things: The Bidens are corrupt and heavily invested in Ukraine and China. Hence, they don’t care about what US taxpayers lose, or whether we have enough left to win a war with China because it’s not a war he wants. He wants war in Ukraine because it’s good for their familys wealth generation.
Ukraine is not important to the US , China is because China stands in the way of US hegemony and will become the sole super power in the near future , which scares the hell out of the Americans and it`s NATO LACKEYS.
Ukraine is the battlefield chosen by the U.S. to stop Russia from trading in the world and raising her economy and standard of living.
Impossible. Ukraine is losing, and losing badly. The Biden Administration cannot admit its blunder, and leave Ukraine as the disaster it has created there.
It must “fix” it, which is exactly like the two decades spent hopelessly trying to fix the other neocon wars of choice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When Blinken and Biden said diplomacy was “off the table” in the three months before the war, they chose this. They knew that. It was “extending Russia” and intended to end in regime change in Russia.
But once again, they lost.
Now they cannot admit that. So today diplomacy by them is impossible.
Yes, the Neocons, (New Con Artists) cannot bear a loss of face.
The cutout leaker started the ball rolling. I imagine all of this is choreographed. Both parties know that China and Russia have agreed to cooperative military actions if the need rises. They’re trying to make nice with Russia to separate that alliance. It was moronic to start this proxy war instead of playing marginally nice with Russia in Europe and not destroying Ukraine and the economies in the EU. Unbelievable hubris.
A few analysts have said the gamer leak was a way to soften the inevitable drawing back. That combined with the CIA informant to Hersh saying the efforts were incompetent.
On the cooperation:
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/04/21/china-russia-circle-wagons-in-asia-pacific/
Last three Badhrakumar’s articles in Indian Punchline are definitely worth reading.
Would you kindly post a link?
I do not believe it. Biden will do Ukraine, that is fight Russia, Relublicans will do Taiwan, that is fight China,
World War, yet?…
The republicans just like the democrats, prefer wars they start the most but if they can’t start them, that my friends is what they fear the most. It’s all in this letter folks:
“…should conflict erupt in the Indo-Pacific in the coming years, we fear that our military will be woefully unprepared to meet these challenges as a direct result of what has been shipped to Ukraine…”
Suspend aid to Ukraine so we can better prepare for war with China? The stupidity in Washington is mind boggling.
There is no reason to be at war with either Russia or China. But the security establishment has to have enemies to maintain their budget. i don’t see any hope for that to change.
We hear talk about hate, and how there is no place for hate in our world. Well, the Biden administration and every administration since the end of WWII by being in an almost continuous state of war somewhere in the world expresses hate does it not?
You know what they say AGR: money talks and bs walks…