U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, has released a statement urging the Trump Administration to follow through on its support for Ukraine with concrete actions.
“I welcome President Trump’s acknowledgement that Ukraine can defeat Russia’s brutal aggression. For years, President Biden’s dithering and hesitant efforts to help Ukraine defend itself only prolonged this conflict. This year, senior members of President Trump’s Administration have consistently recommended he take the same disastrous approach to this awful war. Meanwhile, reality has been unmistakable: passivity in the face of aggression will not stop Putin. Self-imposed constraints will only delay the peace the President rightly seeks,” McConnell said.
He continued, “The President has identified Russia as the aggressor, and clear majorities of Americans, including Republicans, support continued military assistance to Ukraine; his Administration should act accordingly. If senior Department of Defense officials continue to blame NATO allies for provoking Russia, freeze or limit security assistance to Ukraine, or oppose further investments in security cooperation with Ukraine and vulnerable NATO allies, in defiance of the support expressed overwhelmingly by House Republicans last week, they are undermining President Trump’s efforts to end the war. The Commander-in-Chief should not tolerate such freelance policymaking that weakens his leverage and undercuts investments in peace through strength.”
McConnell concluded by stating: “The world is watching to see if President Trump’s Administration translates his rhetoric into action.”
