Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced a resolution on Friday condemning President Joe Biden’s “unconstitutional” security guarantee to Ukraine.
Biden extended security guarantees to Ukraine for the next 10 years, which will strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and bring it closer to joining NATO.
POLITICO report:
But there’s a big catch: the agreement is between the current U.S. and Ukrainian governments and has not been ratified by Congress, and former President Donald Trump could break Washington’s promise and tear up the deal when he returns to the Oval Office in January.
The announcement therefore represents a big gamble for President Joe Biden, who is staking U.S. credibility on trying to reassure Ukraine and European allies even if he can’t guarantee the deal will last 10 months, let alone 10 years. But it also draws a sharp contrast with his Republican opponent, potentially positioning Biden as a transatlantic champion and Trump as an unreliable ally.
“A lasting peace in Ukraine must be assured by Ukraine’s own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression,” Biden said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the signing of the agreement a historic day.
But Paul and Lee believe the agreement is unconstitutional and serves as a “back door” to NATO membership, circumventing Congress. Said Written statement:
President Biden’s bilateral security agreement with Ukraine would drag America into another open-ended war. The agreement risks locking future administrations into a long-term military commitment without a clear exit strategy or sufficient burden-sharing from European allies. We must prioritize American interests and avoid open-ended foreign engagements.
“The Biden Administration’s decision to ignore the Constitution and the Senate’s role in treaty ratification is unacceptable,” Lee said in a statement. “This agreement not only circumvents the Constitution, it also ties the hands of future administrations. Such significant commitments must be subject to full scrutiny by the Senate.”
That is why the two conservatives Introduced The resolution, if passed, would state that the Senate believes the US should enter into a bilateral or multilateral security agreement with Ukraine and that the agreement signed by Biden and Zelensky “has no legal effect.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter. Sean Moran 3.
