Republicans and aid to Ukraine
Paul Pillar took a look last month at Republican opposition to US aid to Ukraine, of which he sees several motivations: an assessment of how the war is going for Ukraine; actual isolationism, a far right trend that never entirely died out within the Republican Party; cynically wanting to cause problems for Joe Biden’s Administration; and, actual sympathy for Putin’s reactionary ideology.
And, of course, their view of what their party/cult leader wants: “Trump’s extraordinary relationship with Putin and Russia colors Republican attitudes toward the war between Russian and Ukraine, and all subsidiary issues such as military aid to Ukraine.“1
Aside from this set of issues making the Republican position “over-determined,” he has the following two judgments on the Republican outlook:
Second, among the reasons for that opposition are some that are not legitimate ingredients of a healthy foreign policy debate and are likely only to confuse and pollute that debate.
But third, the illegitimate ingredients should not be allowed to overshadow sound reasons to question an open-ended supply line to Ukraine. The future course of the war in Ukraine has yet to be determined, and the jury is still out on which approach toward the war is best for U.S. interests and for bringing a stable peace to that part of Europe. All the arguments both in favor of and opposed to added military aid to Ukraine need to be carefully considered, regardless of any other reasons some participants in the debate have for taking the stand they do. [my emphasis]
President Biden pressed the Republicans on the issue in a public address this week2:
Pillar, Paul (2023): Why Republicans Are Increasingly Opposing Aid to Ukraine. The National Interest 09/09/2023. <https://nationalinterest.org/blog/paul-pillar/why-republicans-are-increasingly-opposing-aid-ukraine-206774> (Accessed: 2023-05-10).
Biden presses Republicans on Ukraine aid. Reuters YouTube channel 10/02/2023. (Accessed: 2023-05-10).