The Trumpist wing of the Republican Party is pushing a controversial military aid audit bill for Ukraine.
The Republican Party has officially won the majority in the US House of Representatives, which means that the Ukrainian authorities have reason to worry. As you know, the Republicans have an anti-Ukrainian wing, which is growing every day.
Even at the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, most Republicans joined Democrats in condemning the invasion. Indeed, many Republicans have criticized President Joe Biden for not doing more to help Kyiv. However, as the war wore on, the mood in the party changed. According to Politico, 48% of Republicans now say the US is doing too much for Ukraine, up from 6% in March. And this skeptical rhetoric on Ukraine among Republicans is growing and making its way into the US Senate.
The far right position
The previous day, some far-right Republicans in the US House of Representatives, who are among the supporters of former President Donald Trump, proposed the consideration of a bill for the audit of military aid to Ukraine.
The bill was championed by Trumpists like Marjorie Taylor Green (who promised not to give Ukraine “a penny” during the midterm congressional campaign) and Paul Gosar, known for comparing Ukrainians to “cannon fodder ” and offers to host negotiations between Zelensky and Putin at home. As well as House Armed Services Committee member Matt Goetz, Thomas Massey and others.
“Is Ukraine the 51st state of the United States of America? Does Zelensky hold any position in our government? “Taylor Green asked.
Matt Goetz said he “will not vote for another dollar for Ukraine” and promised that the time for “unlimited financial aid to Ukraine will end.”
The Trumpist wing of the Republican Party has repeatedly argued that Washington is allocating too much money to Ukraine without proper accountability. More moderate Republicans expressed the same ideas, using it as a reason not to support the financial aid bills in Ukraine.
The essence of law
The bill, proposed by Republicans, provides that the US Congress must receive, within two weeks after its adoption, all documents on military, civilian and financial assistance provided to Ukraine in during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Republicans also presented the idea of introducing the position of Inspector General for Ukraine, similar to the one that exists for Afghanistan, when the United States funds their armed forces and economy. But it is not clear whether it will be present in the bill, whose text has not yet been made public.
Before the bill’s announcement, Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted a video of wounded Ukrainian soldiers to Congress who, she wrote, “are being used as pawns to pressure Congress into handing over America’s hard-earned tax dollars to Zelensky.”
It’s heartbreaking to see disabled Ukrainian soldiers here in the halls of Congress being used as pawns to force our Congress to give hard-earned American tax dollars to Zelensky.
I called for an audit of funds in Ukraine and to fund and secure our border. pic.twitter.com/mLID5nFPds— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) November 17, 2022
It should be noted that the son of Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., reacted radically to the fall of a rocket on the territory of Poland, saying that after that the United States should think about stopping the provision of military aid in Ukraine.
“Since it was a Ukrainian missile that hit our NATO ally Poland, can we stop spending billions arming them?” he wrote on Twitter.
At the same time, he did not specify how, in his opinion, the reduction of Ukraine’s military potential could force the Russian Federation to stop fighting.
Voting prediction
While the anti-Ukrainian wing represents only part of the Republican Party, “this group may have leverage in the form of a narrow majority,” CNN analysts said.
Meanwhile, for the adoption of the bills, the Republicans will have to negotiate in the Senate, where the Democratic Party will have a small majority. In addition, the Republican majority is unlikely to be sufficient to overcome a potential US presidential veto (if the bill passes).
Analysts believe that Republicans will gain control of the House of Representatives, but this majority will be small. On the night of November 17, Republicans will control 218 seats to the Democrats’ 210. If incumbents win the remaining numbers, Republicans will have 221 seats.
Why Trumpists are against Ukraine
Trumpists are only part of the Republican Party (their percentage is 20-25%). Experts note that they are the most negatively disposed to helping Ukraine, while they are popular with voters, but not with party donors. Therefore, against the backdrop of domestic problems in the United States, the Trumpists often release scandals on an international topic that resonates with their voters.
“These people are against a very active foreign policy: ‘Why should the US decide all the world’s issues and wars?’ Such sentiments are very popular in this wing,” said Vladimir Dubovik, director of the Center for International Studies.
Trump fans also often create chaos in the media sphere, while their voices in Congress are not strong enough to determine the overall policy of the party.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.