Title is based on an article I found interesting published on Thursday, thought it might be good for a bit of discussion. Quoting its introduction below...
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April 20, 2023
Written by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
A number of Republican lawmakers, including three senators, sent President Joe Biden a letter Thursday proclaiming that they will no longer support “unrestrained” American aid to Ukraine and “will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”
Calling the conflict a “proxy war with Russia” that is “not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control,” the members charge that the current administration policy of “sanctions and drawn-out aid” will only prolong the conflict.
“There are appropriate ways in which the U.S. can support the Ukrainian people, but unlimited arms supplies in support of an endless war is not one of them,” the letter reads. “Our national interests, and those of the Ukrainian people, are best served by incentivizing the negotiations that are urgently needed to bring this conflict to a resolution.”
The names affixed to the document are no real surprise. The three senators — Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — have voiced concern about the aid in terms of oversight and the sheer amount drawn from U.S. coffers over the last year (over $113 billion, more than $60 billion of which is direct military assistance or resources for U.S. and NATO defense specifically earmarked for the war).
The senators join a growing chorus of conservative voices questioning whether more unconditional military aid might disincentivize the diplomatic track and help further destroy the country as the conflict grinds on in a war of attrition.
“Since we’re paying the piper, we have a responsibility to call the tune: to figure out what’s possible and make sure our investment is getting us there,” Daniel McCarthy, syndicated columnist and editor of Modern Age journal, tells RS. “The only realistic path to stability demands diplomacy of the highest caliber. The alternative is endless spending for endless war.”
On the House side, 16 Republican members signed the letter, following the lead of freshman Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona. They include Reps. Mary Miller of Illinois, Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona, Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Barry Moore of Alabama, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Tim Burchett and Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Mike Collins of Georgia and Josh Brecheen of Texas.
The group includes familiar faces in the growing conservative-populist movement like Greene who have been been adamant about not sending more aid to Ukraine. Rep. Greene told Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes recently that Ukraine was “not the 51st state,” and that she has to focus on fixing the problems her constituents and the American people are facing.
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Full article:
Republican lawmakers to Biden: no more ‘unrestrained aid’ to Ukraine | responsiblestatecraft.org
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April 20, 2023
Written by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
A number of Republican lawmakers, including three senators, sent President Joe Biden a letter Thursday proclaiming that they will no longer support “unrestrained” American aid to Ukraine and “will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”
Calling the conflict a “proxy war with Russia” that is “not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control,” the members charge that the current administration policy of “sanctions and drawn-out aid” will only prolong the conflict.
“There are appropriate ways in which the U.S. can support the Ukrainian people, but unlimited arms supplies in support of an endless war is not one of them,” the letter reads. “Our national interests, and those of the Ukrainian people, are best served by incentivizing the negotiations that are urgently needed to bring this conflict to a resolution.”
The names affixed to the document are no real surprise. The three senators — Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — have voiced concern about the aid in terms of oversight and the sheer amount drawn from U.S. coffers over the last year (over $113 billion, more than $60 billion of which is direct military assistance or resources for U.S. and NATO defense specifically earmarked for the war).
The senators join a growing chorus of conservative voices questioning whether more unconditional military aid might disincentivize the diplomatic track and help further destroy the country as the conflict grinds on in a war of attrition.
“Since we’re paying the piper, we have a responsibility to call the tune: to figure out what’s possible and make sure our investment is getting us there,” Daniel McCarthy, syndicated columnist and editor of Modern Age journal, tells RS. “The only realistic path to stability demands diplomacy of the highest caliber. The alternative is endless spending for endless war.”
On the House side, 16 Republican members signed the letter, following the lead of freshman Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona. They include Reps. Mary Miller of Illinois, Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona, Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Barry Moore of Alabama, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Tim Burchett and Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Mike Collins of Georgia and Josh Brecheen of Texas.
The group includes familiar faces in the growing conservative-populist movement like Greene who have been been adamant about not sending more aid to Ukraine. Rep. Greene told Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes recently that Ukraine was “not the 51st state,” and that she has to focus on fixing the problems her constituents and the American people are facing.
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Full article:
Republican lawmakers to Biden: no more ‘unrestrained aid’ to Ukraine | responsiblestatecraft.org