Playing a shell game on aid to Ukraine

It’s been two years since we existed, guaranteed Last week, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) , said the U.S. government has excellent oversight of aid to Ukraine. ), along with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), exposure The Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget has not accounted for nearly $14 billion in aid to Ukraine. But rather than hold the administration accountable, House Republican leaders plan to perform their own creative calculations this week to send yet another aid package to Ukraine.

Previous aid was in the form of unconditional subsidies, but this time some of the aid will be in the form of loans. In theory, it’s a sensible compromise. The problem is its execution. This bill is not scheduled to expire. This “loan” will consist of 0% interest, will be forgivable by President Biden, and will be financed with more U.S. Treasuries. No one in Washington is seriously trying to get their money back. And if it does, Ukraine could simply default on the loan.

This is a classic DC move. In the face of growing Ukraine fatigue among Americans, bipartisan groups are playing shell games to see if voters can chase the ball. This was the latest in a series of questionable money transfers from both sides of the Atlantic, and it was predictable.

In the Wall Street Journal in May 2022, I was one of the first conservatives to take a stand against further remittances to Kiev. I believe that while “helping protect Ukraine from Russian aggression is clearly in the U.S. national interest,” the $40 billion “take it or leave it” package rushed through Congress is an important He claimed that he was unable to deal with the criticism. Specifically, it noted that U.S. aid lacks the oversight of a specially appointed inspector general, preventing it from focusing spending on Ukraine’s vital military needs.

The past two years have proven those fears correct.The Department of Defense says they could not be traced More than $1 billion worth of military supplies sent to Ukraine, discovered $6.2 billion accounting error When calculating the cost of weapons. Minister of Defense of Ukraine fired For questions regarding military implants. Billions of dollars in aid from the United States flowed Economic aid, not weapons. More importantly, President Biden, then and now, has not presented the American people with a coherent strategy or plan for victory or peace in Ukraine. The American people are gradually losing patience with the bloody stalemate that this administration has created.

according to new vote Even a majority (56%) of floating voters in key battleground states believe the reported amount is $113 billion, according to a survey conducted by the Heritage Foundation in collaboration with RMG Research.$6 billion more than New York City’s entire 2024 budget–The US is already spending too much on aiding Ukraine. Only 12 percent think it’s too low. And an overwhelming three in four swing voters would oppose any proposal to send more aid to Ukraine without allocating funds to secure its southern border. Unfortunately, this week’s so-called national security policy secures the borders of three other countries without touching our own borders.

The American people already recognize that our foreign policy establishment does not approve of itself. The current ad hoc approach doesn’t work for everyone. Things will not go well for Ukraine, which continues to be outnumbered and survive. And most importantly, it’s not going well for the United States, which is overstepping its bounds, funding intractable conflicts around the world while suffering a historic catastrophe on its southern border.

This sheds light on the true meaning of future Ukrainian votes, and by extension, the 2024 elections. Do the American people have a say in Washington or not? And can our leaders be honest with the American people?

Conservatives should oppose further aid to Ukraine until President Biden presents a plan to end the war and Congress devise a fiscally responsible and honest way to ensure aid is responsibly distributed. It is. In the case of loans, there must be mandatory provisions to ensure repayment. The American people deserve a fair shake in Washington. They won’t get it if Congress continues to play money games with an administration that keeps making profits.

Kevin Roberts is president of the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America.