First on FOX – Urging his Republican colleagues to unite in supporting Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence countered Republican opposition to continued U.S. support for Kiev in its war with Russia.
Pence's main reason for arguing that Republicans should help Ukraine is also the party's main argument against continuing the aid: China.
“China is openly supporting Russia's aggression in Ukraine,” Pence said in a memo issued Tuesday in coordination with the conservative nonprofit group Advancing American Freedom. “Taking down Russia will undermine China.”
Soldiers from the 24th Mechanized Brigade fire a Gyatzint-S 152mm self-propelled howitzer at Russian military positions near the town of Khasyv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via The Associated Press)
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“If Russia takes control of Ukraine, China will get more oil and natural gas, which will further fuel China's expansionist ambitions,” he added.
Pence also argued that a win for Russia would be a win for China, further strengthening the authoritarian regimes in both countries.
Former Vice President Mike Pence (right) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a secret visit on June 29, 2023. (Fox News)
Many Republicans in the Senate, including Sen. Lindsey Graham and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have spoken out in support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some have even visited Ukraine, while many Republicans in the House of Representatives oppose more U.S. aid due to concerns about spending.
Republican divisions on this issue have not only delayed U.S. aid to Ukraine, with major implications for war efforts through the winter and spring, but they could also pose problems for the party as Americans head into the November elections.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) delivered a speech during a visit to the Zaporizhia region, the site of fierce fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine, on February 4, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via Associated Press)
“The Biden-Harris Administration has let America down at home and abroad, so it's no wonder some are skeptical of our continued support for Ukraine,” Pence said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “But the simple fact is that if Ukraine falls, America's security would be at risk.”
“A stronger Russia will only make China more aggressive. Providing lethal aid to Ukraine will help check dictatorships from Tehran to Beijing and, above all, protect and keep our great country safe,” he added.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin look at each other and shake hands before their meeting in Beijing, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergey Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via Associated Press, File)
But China is not the only concern some Republicans have about continuing aid to Ukraine.
Concerns about U.S. border security and Washington's huge debt load are also frequently cited as major issues, leading some to abandon support for Kyiv.
“Securing the border is largely a matter of will, not money,” Pence said, arguing that Putin has “weaponized refugees” in the past and could do it again if not stopped in Ukraine.
“There's no question the federal government has a massive overspending problem, but not a penny was wasted on deadly aid to Ukraine,” he said.
Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a new book promotion event at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation on October 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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The memo noted that the US spends just 1.5 percent of the federal budget on defending Ukraine and “debilitating its military capabilities.”[e] The Russian military has gone from second in the world to second in Ukraine.”
“The cost of a Russian attack on a NATO ally that we are treaty obligated to defend would quickly exceed 1.5 percent of the federal budget,” he added. “It is in the best interest of the United States to see Ukraine win the war.”
