Lawmakers argued that continued US military aid to Ukraine was “unintentionally contributing to civilian casualties”.
Republicans in Congress have introduced a resolution seeking to halt US aid to Ukraine, citing the high cost to taxpayers, the risk of escalation with Moscow and damage to the arsenal of the United States itself after the transfer of weapons worth about $30 billion.
Led by Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, 11 Republicans launched “Ukraine solves fatigue“ on Thursday, which stated that Washington “must cease military and financial aid to Ukraine” while urging “all warriors to reach a peace agreement.”
“President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022, that equipping Ukraine with military equipment would escalate the conflict into a ‘Third World War. Gaetz said in a Press Release announced the resolution. “We must suspend all foreign aid to the war in Ukraine and demand that all parties to this conflict reach an immediate peace agreement.”
Arguing that the United States is in a period “managed decline,” Gaetz said problems will only get worse if the government continues “taxpayer dollar hemorrhage” in a foreign conflict.
The resolution includes a list outlining the staggering US military generosity towards Ukrainian forces since last year, stating that “The ammunition donated to Ukraine has severely depleted the US stockpile, undermining the US readiness in the event of a conflict.” It goes on to cite a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies which found that, at current production rates, it would take more than 12 years to replenish the US Javelin missile stockpile, underscoring the strain directly to the US arsenal.
Furthermore, the legislators argued that military support for Kiev was “unintentionally contributing to civilian casualties” on all sides, echoing previous comments from Gaetz, who said the weapon would only “extend the killing time.”
one long vocal critic on US aid to Ukraine, Gaetz’s resolution was joined by 10 Republican co-sponsors, including Representatives Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, Anna Paulina Luna, Mary Miller, Barry Moore, Ralph Norman and Matt Rosendale.
Although a growing number of Republicans in the House of Representatives are increasingly wary of aid – among them House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – senior lawmakers in the Senate were more supportive. In December, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell announced that “Supporting the Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority of the United States right now,” states that such views have been widely shared in the GOP.
