Republican lawmakers have introduced a resolution seeking to end US aid to Ukraine, citing the massive cost to US taxpayers, the risk of escalation with Moscow and the toll on America’s own arsenal after some $30 billion in arms transfers. The lawmakers argued continued US military aid to Ukraine is “inadvertently contributing to civilian casualties”.
Led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, 11 Republicans put forward the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution” on Thursday, which states that Washington “must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” while urging “all combatants to reach a peace agreement.”
“President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022, suggesting that arming Ukraine with military equipment will escalate the conflict to ‘World War III,’” Gaetz said in a press release announcing the resolution. “We must suspend all foreign aid for the war in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately.”
Arguing that the United States is in a period of “managed decline,” Gaetz said the problems will only get worse if the government continues to “hemorrhage taxpayer dollars” in a foreign conflict.
Over the past year the United States has spent over $110 billion to secure the Ukrainian border from the Russian invasion. Over 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers are dead and millions have fled the war zone.
There are numerous reports that the US blocked attempts at peace in the region.
Former Israeli PM Bennett Says US ‘Blocked’ His Attempts at a Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal
Bennett says the US and its Western allies decided to ‘keep striking Putin’ and not negotiate
by Dave DeCamp
Former Israeli PM Bennett Says US ‘Blocked’ His Attempts at a Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal
— Antiwar.com (@Antiwarcom) February 5, 2023
Bennett says the US and its Western allies decided to 'keep striking Putin' and not negotiate
by Dave DeCamp@DecampDave #Russia #Ukraine #diplomacy #Israel #Bennett https://t.co/GBBkzbvwxG pic.twitter.com/CQK0BYGxcj
And there are also reports that it was the US and not Russia that blew up the Nord Stream Russian gas pipelines to Europe.
Last Thursday 11 Republican lawmakers said ENOUGH!
A group of 11 Republican lawmakers called on the United States to halt additional military and financial aid to Ukraine.
The money the US taxpayers have sent there is not even audited. We have no idea where it all went!
Via the office of Representative Matt Gaetz.
U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) today led a group of 11 lawmakers in calling for the United States to halt additional military and financial aid to Ukraine through the introduction of the “Ukraine Fatigue” Resolution. If passed, the Resolution would express through the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine, and urges all combatants to reach a peace agreement.
Since the onset of the war last February, the United States has been the top contributor of military equipment and aid to Ukraine, sending over $110 Billion of taxpayer money to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including an additional $2 Billion in aid announced on February 3 rd.
Congressman Gaetz was joined by the following original co-sponsors on the “Ukraine Fatigue” Resolution: Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Thomas Massie (KY-04), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-02), Ralph Norman (SC-05), and Matt Rosendale (MT-02).
“President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022, suggesting that arming Ukraine with military equipment will escalate the conflict to ‘World War III.’ America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war. We must suspend all foreign aid for the War in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately,” Congressman Gaetz said.
Full text of Rep. Gaetz’s Ukraine Fatigue Resolution can be found HERE.
The resolution includes a list outlining the staggering American military largesse for Ukrainian forces since last year, stating that “munitions donated to Ukraine have severely depleted United States stockpiles, weakening United States readiness in the event of conflict.” It went on to cite a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies which found that, at the current rate of production, it will take more than 12 years to replenish the US stock of Javelin missiles, underscoring the strain on American arsenals.
Moreover, the lawmakers argued military support to Kiev was “inadvertently contributing to civilian casualties” on all sides, echoing previous comments from Gaetz, who has said the weapons would only “prolong the killing.”
Long a vocal critic of US aid to Ukraine, Gaetz’s resolution was joined by 10 Republican co-sponsors, among them Reps. Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Anna Paulina Luna, Mary Miller, Barry Moore, Ralph Norman and Matt Rosendale.
Though a growing number of House Republicans are increasingly wary of the aid – among them House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – senior lawmakers in the Senate have been more supportive. In December, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell declared that “providing assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority for the United States right now,” claiming that view was broadly shared among the GOP.