WASHINGTON — Testimony on Russian war crimes. Monthly classified briefings. High-profile hearings, TV appearances and even op-eds in conservative media outlets.
Leading Republicans in Congress are not waiting for the next debate over assistance to Ukraine, instead launching an early and aggressive effort to make the case for why the U.S. should continue spending billions of dollars on the war effort.
One of their main challenges: winning over skeptical Republican colleagues.
“I’m very much focused on the dissension within my own party on this,” Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press.
Libkos
Ukrainian soldiers check the situation using a drone Tuesday in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine.
He plans to hold a hearing in the spring focused on Russian atrocities against Ukrainian civilians, to try to bring home the war’s terrible toll.
“I find that moves the dial, when they see these horrific killings of children,” McCaul said.
The task ahead is challenging, particularly in the House. While Republicans have often been the nation’s leading defense hawks, eager for the U.S. to defend its interests, former President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach emboldened a noninterventionist wing that is clamoring to end the Ukraine aid.
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, said of Republicans: “There are some that I’ve talked to, they don’t realize the interest the United States has in it.”
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Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs
AP file
For months, U.S. officials balked at sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, insisting they were too complicated and too hard to maintain and repair.
On Wednesday, that abruptly changed. Ukraine's desperate pleas for tanks were answered with a sweeping, trans-Atlantic yes.
The dramatic reversal was the culmination of intense international pressure and diplomatic arm-twisting that played out over the last week. And it resulted in in a quick succession of announcements: The U.S. said it will send 31 of the 70-ton Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, and Germany announced it will send 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other countries to do the same.
AP file
For months, U.S. officials balked at sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, insisting they were too complicated and too hard to maintain and repair.
On Wednesday, that abruptly changed. Ukraine's desperate pleas for tanks were answered with a sweeping, trans-Atlantic yes.
The dramatic reversal was the culmination of intense international pressure and diplomatic arm-twisting that played out over the last week. And it resulted in in a quick succession of announcements: The U.S. said it will send 31 of the 70-ton Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, and Germany announced it will send 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other countries to do the same.
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Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs
Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File
WHAT ARE THE ABRAMS?
M1 Abrams tanks have led American battle assaults for decades.
Carrying a crew of four, the Abrams was first deployed to war in 1991. It has thick armor, a 120 mm main gun, armor piercing capabilities, advanced targeting systems, thick tracked wheels and a 1,500-horsepower turbine engine with a top speed of about 42 miles per hour (68 kilometers per hour).
Crews interviewed in a 1992 Government Accountability Office review after the Persian Gulf War praised its high survivability and said “several M1A1 crews reported receiving direct frontal hits from Iraqi T-72s with minimal damage.”
More recently, the battle titans led the charge to Baghdad during America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, as 3rd Infantry Division units conducted what was dubbed “Thunder Runs” to break through Iraqi defenses.
The Abrams' powerful jet engine can propel the tank through almost any terrain, whether heavy snow or heavy mud, said Kevin Butler, a former Army lieutenant who served as an Abrams tank platoon leader. Butler recalled a muddy exercise in the late 1990s at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he’d voiced concern about the tanks getting stuck because it had already stuck the Humvees.
The Abrams, he said, "didn’t even notice” the mud.
Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File
WHAT ARE THE ABRAMS?
M1 Abrams tanks have led American battle assaults for decades.
Carrying a crew of four, the Abrams was first deployed to war in 1991. It has thick armor, a 120 mm main gun, armor piercing capabilities, advanced targeting systems, thick tracked wheels and a 1,500-horsepower turbine engine with a top speed of about 42 miles per hour (68 kilometers per hour).
Crews interviewed in a 1992 Government Accountability Office review after the Persian Gulf War praised its high survivability and said “several M1A1 crews reported receiving direct frontal hits from Iraqi T-72s with minimal damage.”
More recently, the battle titans led the charge to Baghdad during America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, as 3rd Infantry Division units conducted what was dubbed “Thunder Runs” to break through Iraqi defenses.
The Abrams' powerful jet engine can propel the tank through almost any terrain, whether heavy snow or heavy mud, said Kevin Butler, a former Army lieutenant who served as an Abrams tank platoon leader. Butler recalled a muddy exercise in the late 1990s at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he’d voiced concern about the tanks getting stuck because it had already stuck the Humvees.
The Abrams, he said, "didn’t even notice” the mud.
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Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs
AP file
WHY THE U.S. KEPT SAYING NO
The Abrams' jet engine needs hundreds of gallons of fuel to operate.
It will burn through fuel at a rate of at least two gallons per mile (4.7 liters per kilometer), whether the tank is moving or idling, Butler said, which means a constant supply convoy of fuel trucks must stay within reach so it can keep moving forward.
The U.S. worried that the fuel demands would create a logistical nightmare for Ukrainian forces. While an Abrams can storm through the snow and mud, fuel trucks can't. In addition, like any jet engine, the Abrams' turbine needs air to breathe, which it sucks in through filtered rear vents. When those vent filters get clogged — whether by sand, as soldiers reported to GAO in 1992, or by debris they might encounter in Ukraine — they can't perform.
“The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment. It’s expensive, it’s hard to train on. ... It is not the easiest system to maintain. It may or may not be the right system,” The under secretary of defense for policy, Colin Kahl, told reporters last week at the Pentagon.
The Abrams also will require months of training. Ukrainian forces will have to learn how to operate its more complex systems, and how to keep it running and fueled.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, pictured
AP file
WHY THE U.S. KEPT SAYING NO
The Abrams' jet engine needs hundreds of gallons of fuel to operate.
It will burn through fuel at a rate of at least two gallons per mile (4.7 liters per kilometer), whether the tank is moving or idling, Butler said, which means a constant supply convoy of fuel trucks must stay within reach so it can keep moving forward.
The U.S. worried that the fuel demands would create a logistical nightmare for Ukrainian forces. While an Abrams can storm through the snow and mud, fuel trucks can't. In addition, like any jet engine, the Abrams' turbine needs air to breathe, which it sucks in through filtered rear vents. When those vent filters get clogged — whether by sand, as soldiers reported to GAO in 1992, or by debris they might encounter in Ukraine — they can't perform.
“The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment. It’s expensive, it’s hard to train on. ... It is not the easiest system to maintain. It may or may not be the right system,” The under secretary of defense for policy, Colin Kahl, told reporters last week at the Pentagon.
The Abrams also will require months of training. Ukrainian forces will have to learn how to operate its more complex systems, and how to keep it running and fueled.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, pictured
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Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs
Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP
THE ARM-TWISTING TURNABOUT
Despite all the drawbacks expressed by the U.S., when all was said and done, it came down to political realities and a diplomatic dance.
Germany had been reluctant to send the Leopards, or allow allies to send them, unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, due to concerns that supplying the tanks would incur Russia’s wrath. The U.S., meanwhile, argued that the German-made Leopards were a better fit because Ukrainian troops could get them and get trained on them far more quickly and easily.
The impasse frustrated European allies, such as Poland, who wanted to send Leopards but couldn’t without Germany’s OK. Thus began the more fierce negotiations.
U.S. and German officials both used the word “intensive” to describe the talks that ultimately led to the tank turnabout by both countries.
“This is the result of intensive consultations, once again, with our allies and international partners,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz, pictured, said in an address to German lawmakers on Wednesday.
Echoing Scholz, a senior U.S. administration official said talks had been going on for some time but “in a much more intensified way over the last number of weeks.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details on the decision.
From President Joe Biden on down, calls were made, including to Scholz. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke and met with their German counterparts and other allies.
Last Friday, the pressure was palpable. Top defense leaders from more than 50 countries met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss Ukraine's ongoing weapons and equipment needs. Tanks were a key subject. Leaders from countries that have Leopard tanks met with the new German defense minister.
Gradually, the German stance began to publicly soften, leading to Wednesday's announcements. Asked repeatedly what changed, Biden administration officials sidestepped. Asked directly about German pressure, Biden told reporters, “Germany didn’t force me to change our mind.”
Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP
THE ARM-TWISTING TURNABOUT
Despite all the drawbacks expressed by the U.S., when all was said and done, it came down to political realities and a diplomatic dance.
Germany had been reluctant to send the Leopards, or allow allies to send them, unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, due to concerns that supplying the tanks would incur Russia’s wrath. The U.S., meanwhile, argued that the German-made Leopards were a better fit because Ukrainian troops could get them and get trained on them far more quickly and easily.
The impasse frustrated European allies, such as Poland, who wanted to send Leopards but couldn’t without Germany’s OK. Thus began the more fierce negotiations.
U.S. and German officials both used the word “intensive” to describe the talks that ultimately led to the tank turnabout by both countries.
“This is the result of intensive consultations, once again, with our allies and international partners,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz, pictured, said in an address to German lawmakers on Wednesday.
Echoing Scholz, a senior U.S. administration official said talks had been going on for some time but “in a much more intensified way over the last number of weeks.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details on the decision.
From President Joe Biden on down, calls were made, including to Scholz. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke and met with their German counterparts and other allies.
Last Friday, the pressure was palpable. Top defense leaders from more than 50 countries met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss Ukraine's ongoing weapons and equipment needs. Tanks were a key subject. Leaders from countries that have Leopard tanks met with the new German defense minister.
Gradually, the German stance began to publicly soften, leading to Wednesday's announcements. Asked repeatedly what changed, Biden administration officials sidestepped. Asked directly about German pressure, Biden told reporters, “Germany didn’t force me to change our mind.”
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Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs
AP Photo/LIBKOS, File
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Timing for both delivery of the tanks to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian troops is fuzzy. U.S. officials would only say that it will take “many months” to deliver the Abrams tanks, but that the Leopards will arrive faster.
Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, said the U.S. no longer buys new Abrams, but uses older ones as “seed vehicles” and refurbishes them. Doing that, however, isn't quick or easy, he said.
The training can begin more quickly, and the Pentagon is developing a program.
“We want to make sure that they (the tanks) fall on ready hands, and that the Ukrainians know how to use them, they know how to keep them running, and they’ve got the supply chain in place for spare parts and supplies," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
Bush said the Ukrainians have shown they have the knowledge and capabilities to learn new systems quickly.
“We can often abbreviate and accelerate what we can do in terms of training for Ukrainian army soldiers,” he told reporters Wednesday. "With enough motivation and dedicated 24/7 access to them, we can train people really quickly,” he said. "The U.S. Army knows how to do that.”
AP Photo/LIBKOS, File
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Timing for both delivery of the tanks to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian troops is fuzzy. U.S. officials would only say that it will take “many months” to deliver the Abrams tanks, but that the Leopards will arrive faster.
Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, said the U.S. no longer buys new Abrams, but uses older ones as “seed vehicles” and refurbishes them. Doing that, however, isn't quick or easy, he said.
The training can begin more quickly, and the Pentagon is developing a program.
“We want to make sure that they (the tanks) fall on ready hands, and that the Ukrainians know how to use them, they know how to keep them running, and they’ve got the supply chain in place for spare parts and supplies," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
Bush said the Ukrainians have shown they have the knowledge and capabilities to learn new systems quickly.
“We can often abbreviate and accelerate what we can do in terms of training for Ukrainian army soldiers,” he told reporters Wednesday. "With enough motivation and dedicated 24/7 access to them, we can train people really quickly,” he said. "The U.S. Army knows how to do that.”
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Christian Murcock
FILE - A soldier walks past a line of M1 Abrams tanks, Nov. 29, 2016, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. In what would be a reversal, the Biden administration is poised to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as international reluctance toward sending tanks to the battlefront against the Russians begins to erode. The decision could be announced as soon as Wednesday though it could take months or years for the tanks to be delivered. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File)
Christian Murcock
FILE - A soldier walks past a line of M1 Abrams tanks, Nov. 29, 2016, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. In what would be a reversal, the Biden administration is poised to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as international reluctance toward sending tanks to the battlefront against the Russians begins to erode. The decision could be announced as soon as Wednesday though it could take months or years for the tanks to be delivered. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Michael Sohn
FILE - A Leopard 2 tank is pictured during a demonstration event held for the media by the German Bundeswehr in Munster near Hannover, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to announce Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 that his government will approve supplying German-made battle tanks to Ukraine. The long-awaited decision comes after U.S. officials said Tuesday that a preliminary agreement had been struck for the United States to send M1 Abrams tanks to help Kyiv push back Russian forces entrenched in the east almost a year since the start of the war. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Michael Sohn
FILE - A Leopard 2 tank is pictured during a demonstration event held for the media by the German Bundeswehr in Munster near Hannover, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to announce Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 that his government will approve supplying German-made battle tanks to Ukraine. The long-awaited decision comes after U.S. officials said Tuesday that a preliminary agreement had been struck for the United States to send M1 Abrams tanks to help Kyiv push back Russian forces entrenched in the east almost a year since the start of the war. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives across the training area during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives across the training area during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Ralf Hirschberger
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 tank from the Bundeswehr's Panzer exercise bataillon 93 fires at the Oberlausitz training area in Weisskeissel, Germany, Aug. 12, 2009. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was “acting in close coordination” with its allies. (Ralf Hirschberger/dpa via AP, file)
Ralf Hirschberger
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 tank from the Bundeswehr's Panzer exercise bataillon 93 fires at the Oberlausitz training area in Weisskeissel, Germany, Aug. 12, 2009. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was “acting in close coordination” with its allies. (Ralf Hirschberger/dpa via AP, file)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives through a pool of water during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives through a pool of water during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives across the training area during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
Philipp Schulze
FILE -- A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank drives across the training area during preparations for the 'Land Operations 2017' information training exercise in Munster, Germany, Sept 25, 2017. The German government has confirmed it will provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was 'acting in close coordination' with its allies. (Philipp Schulze/dpa via AP, file)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - Russian T-90 main battle tanks roll through Moscow's Red Square in the annual Victory Day parade on Friday, May 9, 2008. Russia's T-90, is a modified version of the T-72. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File)
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - Russian T-90 main battle tanks roll through Moscow's Red Square in the annual Victory Day parade on Friday, May 9, 2008. Russia's T-90, is a modified version of the T-72. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - A Russian Armata tank, foreground rolls along Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - A Russian Armata tank, foreground rolls along Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - Russian T-72 B3 tanks drive down Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 7, 2019 . (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File)
Alexander Zemlianichenko
FILE - Russian T-72 B3 tanks drive down Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 7, 2019 . (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Francisco Seco
FILE - Ukrainian tanks move in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Monday, May 30, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
Francisco Seco
FILE - Ukrainian tanks move in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Monday, May 30, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Aleksandr Shulman
FILE - Ukrainian soldiers on captured Russian tanks T-72 hold military training close to the Ukraine-Belarus border near Chernihiv, Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/Aleksandr Shulman, File)
Aleksandr Shulman
FILE - Ukrainian soldiers on captured Russian tanks T-72 hold military training close to the Ukraine-Belarus border near Chernihiv, Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/Aleksandr Shulman, File)
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Russia plays down West’s move on tanks, attacks Ukraine anew
Libkos
FILE - Ukrainian army fires a captured Russian tank T-80 at the Russian position in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/LIBKOS, File)
Libkos
FILE - Ukrainian army fires a captured Russian tank T-80 at the Russian position in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow seemed to shrug. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. (AP Photo/LIBKOS, File)
Last week, a group of 11 House Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida unveiled a “Ukraine Fatigue” resolution. It stated the U.S. “must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” and urged the combatants to “reach a peace agreement.”
“America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war,” Gaetz said.
The U.S. provided four rounds of aid to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion, with some of the money going toward replenishment of U.S. military equipment sent to the front lines.
Congress approved the latest round of aid in December. While the package was designed to last through the end of the fiscal year in September, much depends upon events on the ground. Officials in Kyiv anticipate a new Russian offensive in coming weeks around the anniversary of the Feb. 24 invasion, which could hasten Ukraine’s need for more military and economic assistance.
But another funding request is certain to face heavy resistance from lawmakers closely aligned with Trump and budget hawks worried about the nation’s $31 trillion in government debt.
Olivier Matthys, Associated Press
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov shows a handkerchief with the image of a fighter jet, for which Ukraine has been pressing its allies, prior to the North Atlantic Council roundtable meeting of NATO defense ministers Tuesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“We’ve got to get our financial house in order in the United States before we put any more dollars overseas for things like that,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “We’ve met our goal for Ukraine.”
McCaul, as the new Republican chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is now a key player in U.S. funding decisions. He is working to bring in Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to testify about the violence being inflicted on civilians.
A team of experts commissioned by the U.N.’s top human rights body found last year that Russian forces are responsible for the vast majority of war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine. The commission documented patterns of summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, rape and other sexual violence.
McCaul said he wants his colleagues and the public to see clearly what is happening in Ukraine and why U.S. aid is so vital.
“It’s not a question of either or,” he said. “We’re a great country. We can secure our border and protect freedom and democracy around the world, which is what Ukraine is all about.”
Libkos
A Ukrainian soldier pets a dog Tuesday in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine. The sign on the wall reads "Love," while the street sign reads "Street of Independence."
With opponents of Ukraine spending warning of fraud and corruption, the House Armed Services Committee is planning to hold monthly classified briefings for lawmakers to detail how the U.S. security aid is being allocated.
The briefings will be every two weeks for key staff, Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama said, and a public hearing is in the works “to try to get more visibility for the public into the tracking that we’re doing.”
One of the challenges in ensuring accountability is the sheer number of activities that U.S. dollars are supporting. U.S. dollars not only go to Stinger missiles to take out Russian aircraft and Javelin missiles to take out tanks, but also for food, water and shelter for refugees, as well as basic government services, such as medical care, firefighting and utilities.
The inspectors general for the Defense and State departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development are the lead offices tracking Ukraine spending. Rogers said he is encouraging NATO to bring in a third party to track U.S. weapons to assure the public they don’t end up in the wrong hands.
Recent polling from Gallup found about two-thirds of Americans support aid for Ukraine to help it regain its territory. But nearly half of Republicans, or 47%, say the U.S. is doing too much compared with 35% of independents and just 10% of Democrats.
In the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has pressed for more robust action to help Ukraine win the war.
