Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called for continued U.S. aid to Ukraine as the war with Russia reaches its one-year anniversary.
McConnell defended sending more money and weapons to Ukraine as a solution that also benefits the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the long run. The Kentucky Republican's remarks on Friday are an implicit response to a crop of GOP lawmakers demanding an end to Ukraine aid packages.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION STRUGGLES TO FOLLOW THE MONEY IN UKRAINE
"As my fellow leading Republicans and I have explained, it is not an act of charity for the United States and our NATO allies to help supply the Ukrainian people’s self-defense," McConnell said in Finland while wrapping up a diplomatic tour of allied countries. "It is a direct investment in our own core national interests. America is a world power with worldwide interests. Our security and prosperity are deeply intertwined with a secure and stable Europe."
The Pentagon announced another $2 billion in aid on Friday, bringing the total amount the U.S. has spent on Ukraine's defense up to $32 billion since the invasion began a year ago. McConnell argued that the weapons the U.S. has sent to Ukraine are mostly "older weapons from our stockpile."
"This means that a significant portion of the money Congress has appropriated is going directly to strengthen America’s own defense by replenishing our inventories with more modern versions of these older weapons we have transferred to Ukraine," he said.
“It is not enough to do the right things; we need to do the right things at the right speed. The Biden administration and our allies must act more decisively to ensure that both our collective assistance to Ukraine and the investments we each make in our own militaries take place at the speed of relevance," he concluded, adding, "The road to peace lies in speedily surging Ukraine the tools they need to achieve victory as they define it."
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President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine earlier this week, where he visited Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden assured Zelensky, “Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said his new Republican majority would more closely scrutinize money sent to Ukraine, emphasizing last fall that there would be no more "blank checks" to the country. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has filed a bill that would end all aid to Ukraine, attracting 10 Republican co-sponsors in the House.