Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down Monday on his criticism of GOP colleagues who’re reluctant to dish out extra federal spending for Ukraine in its battle in opposition to Russia.
The Kentucky Republican argued that offering extra money towards combating Russia’s unprovoked aggression is in America’s finest pursuits and integral to confronting China, one other key adversary allied with Moscow.
“America is making urgent strides in the race to compete with our biggest adversary — China. In the process, we’re helping degrade Russian military strength and encouraging our allies to buy American and invest in their own defense,” Mr. McConnell mentioned in remarks on the Senate ground. “This is American leadership, and Republicans should be pressing President Biden to show more of it instead of dreaming about America’s retreat.”
Mr. McConnell’s feedback got here as Congress debates whether or not to approve extra navy and humanitarian help for Ukraine on the identical time Washington stares down the barrel of an impending authorities shutdown. Unless Congress passes a authorities funding invoice within the coming weeks, a shutdown will ensue on Oct. 1.
Support amongst congressional Republicans and voters to proceed writing hefty checks for Ukraine has diminished the longer the battle drags on. Skeptics argue the cash can be higher spent at house or on combating China, an thought Mr. McConnell rejected.
“Skeptics of American leadership like to hang their hats on the notion that support for Ukraine somehow saps our ability to compete with and deter communist China. This view does not hold up to serious scrutiny,” he mentioned. “The patina of hawkishness on China is too often just a mask, a mask for isolationism. If critics of U.S. support for Ukraine disparage the principle that we should oppose adversaries who invade and destroy Western-aligned neighbors, how credible is their commitment to defend Taiwan or other allies?”
President Biden has requested a further $21 billion for Ukraine — on prime of the greater than $75 billion Congress has beforehand accepted — as a part of a broader emergency supplemental spending package deal.
Mr. McConnell insisted that Republicans against extra Ukraine spending have falsely boiled down the continued debate to be “about abstract principles or philanthropy.” He mentioned there was “nothing neoconservative about support for Ukraine.”
“The United States isn’t arming Ukraine out of its sense of charity. We’re backing a fellow democracy because it is in our direct interest to do so,” Mr. McConnell mentioned. “If we fail to help Ukraine stop Russia in its tracks, there’s every reason to believe Russia and China will both be emboldened.”
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