“We realized that Russian President Putin had just invaded Ukraine and the president is a Democrat,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “Let’s start with Ukraine. I know it’s an issue you care about in terms of military aid. Last night, at a rally in Michigan, former President Trump criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for constantly asking for aid from the United States, saying, ‘It’s never going to end, it’s never going to end.’ This was a criticism in response to Trump telling House Republicans that the money the United States is sending to Ukraine is not worth it, and asking, ‘If Ukraine wins, what benefit is there?’ Now, you have been a strong supporter of military aid to Ukraine to fend off Putin’s war. What’s your answer to that question? If Ukraine wins, what benefit is there?”
Cotton said, “I think it’s important to look at the context of what’s happened in Ukraine over the last decade. Vladimir Putin has only invaded Ukraine when a Democrat was president. It happened under Barack Obama, it happened under Joe Biden, it didn’t happen under Donald Trump. In fact, the weapons that Ukraine used to fend off Russian aggression early in this war were weapons that Donald Trump sent and that Barack Obama and Joe Biden refused to send. One of the reasons Vladimir Putin thought he could get away with going after Ukraine’s lifeline is because his withdrawal from Afghanistan was disastrous, and it revealed weakness and indecision. It was only a few weeks later that he began massing troops on the Ukrainian border. President Trump has said he believes in and supports Ukraine’s survival and strength, but he thinks Europe should do more.”
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