Top House Republicans call on Biden to increase military support for Ukraine

Washington
CNN
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Two leading Republicans have called on President Joe Biden to increase military support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian invasion and reiterated their support from both sides of the aisle to continue funding the Ukrainian war effort .

Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN’s Pamela Brown about “the state of the Union” in a joint interview with House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner, which aired on Sunday, that bipartisan support for Ukraine is “still very strong.” ”

But as the first anniversary of the war approaches, McCaul warned that covering support for Ukraine could prolong the conflict, which could play to Russia’s advantages and allow anti-Ukrainian dissent to grow. .

“The longer (Biden administration officials) drag this out, the more they play into (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin’s hands. He wants this to be a long and protracted war because he knows potentially he will lose – we could lose the will of the American people and therefore of Congress,” the Texas Republican told CNN, speaking from the conference. of Munich on security in Germany.

The United States and its allies have already sent nearly $50 billion in aid and equipment to the Ukrainian military over the past year. To maintain this and replenish its own stockpiles, the Pentagon is rushing to rearm, embarking on the biggest increase in munitions production in decades and putting swathes of the US defense industry on a war footing as that America is technically not at war.

Asked by Brown if he thinks the United States is considering sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, McCaul replied, “I hope so” and reiterated his concern about an endless conflict between Russia and Ukraine while noting, “I think the momentum is building for this to happen.

“The point is, the longer they wait, the longer this conflict will prevail,” McCaul said.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham echoed that message, telling ABC in an interview that aired on Sunday that U.S. lawmakers attending the Munich Security Conference were in the “nearly unanimous belief” that the U.S. should start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

“I think a decision will be imminent when we get back to Washington, when the administration starts training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. They need the weapons system,” Graham said.

Asked by CNN whether the Biden administration has ruled out sending F-16s to Ukraine, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations, said officials were “working very closely and directly with the Ukrainians to identify their needs and when”. they need it.

“We’re also working to make sure they have the training and the ability to use the weapons systems we provide them. So that discussion continues,” she said in a separate interview on “State of the Union.”

Turner, a Republican from Ohio, defended congressional support for Ukraine despite several of his House GOP colleagues co-signing a “Ukraine Fatigue” resolution calling on the United States to end aid military and financial in the country. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told CNN last week that he opposes the resolution.

Turner likened the resolution to a letter that more than two dozen progressive House Democrats sent to the White House last fall, asking it to continue diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. The letter was retracted shortly thereafter.

“You have a handful on both sides, on both sides, Pamela, who have been cautious or who have said that they are not supporting, or that they want the support to end,” he said from Munich. . “There are 435 members of Congress. There are probably 400 who are to continue in this direction and this path.

McCaul also told CNN that the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that flew over US airspace before being shot down off South Carolina earlier this month contained US-made parts and urged states to restrict the flow of weapons technology to China.

“That balloon, by the way, had a lot of American parts in it. We know that the hypersonic missile that precisely circumnavigated the globe was built on the backbone of American technology,” McCaul said, referring the Beijing test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in 2021.

“They steal a lot from us. But we don’t have to sell them the very technology that they can put into their advanced weapons systems and then turn against either Taiwan in the Pacific or possibly the United States of America. I think there is a big bipartisanship on this issue,” he added.

Turner and McCaul also said they wanted to see Biden take a more serious stance on China after the passing-ball incident.

McCaul said the tension between the two countries “is very high right now” and that Democrats and Republicans are in agreement that they want to confront Chinese threats.

“I think we have a unique opportunity to be bipartisan on this issue of national security against one of the greatest threats to this country, and the world, for that matter,” McCaul said.

Turner, meanwhile, said there was an opportunity for the Biden administration to “resume a normal dialogue with China.”

“No one, of course, wants a cold war, but that’s not the point. What we want is a China that won’t be an aggressor state, that won’t build up its military and threaten the United States, and that certainly won’t make the negative comments that it does instead of just openly apologize for sending a spy balloon over our most sensitive military sites,” Turner said.

Adding to the tension between Washington and Beijing, the United States has recently begun to see “worrying” trends in China’s support for the Russian military, and there are signs that Beijing wants to “crawl to the bottom.” line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, US officials familiar with intelligence told CNN.

The officials did not describe in detail the intelligence the United States has seen suggesting a recent change in China’s position, but said American officials were concerned enough to have shared the intelligence with allies and partners. at the Munich Security Conference over the past few days.

“The most catastrophic thing that can happen to US-China relations, in my opinion, is China giving deadly weapons to (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin and his crime against humanity,” Graham told ABC.

“If you jump on the Putin bandwagon now, you’re dumber than dirt. It would be like buying a ticket on the Titanic after watching the movie. Don’t do that,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional information.