The U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement on Oct. 14 that said the U.S. has delivered unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine while it continued its struggles with Russia, and to meet Ukraine's evolving battlefield requirements, the U.S. would continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with $18.2 billion since January 2021 and more than $16.8 billion in security assistance since the war escalated in February 2022.
This is making a growing number of Republicans mad.
What Happened: Days before midterm elections on Nov. 8 in which control of the Congress is at stake, the U.S. pledge to support Ukraine has turned into a partisan issue. Republicans would have the authority to halt funding to Ukraine if it became the majority party in Congress.
And the party may leverage use that influence: a recent Wall Street Journal survey indicated the number of Republicans who support further financial aid for Ukraine was declining.
Thirty-three percent of Republicans polled said they were in favor of additional financial aid sent to Ukraine, while 81% of Democrats said they were in favor.
Further, 48% of Republicans now say the U.S. is doing too much, an increase of about 5% from just one month ago. Overall, 30% of respondents said in the new survey they believe the Biden administration is doing too much to help Ukraine.
The 5% increase came after a September Gallup poll, in which 43% of Republicans said the U.S. is doing too much to support Ukraine, while 30% said not enough, and 26% said the right amount.
Benzinga reported in September that Democrats were more likely than any other significant American subgroup to support Ukraine in its efforts to recapture land; nearly four out of five of them did. While 50% of Republicans agreed, and about 46% preferred a speedy resolution to the crisis.
Why It Matters: Republicans would have the authority to reduce funding for Ukraine, but analysts told Reuters that the party is more likely to reduce or halt the flow of defense and economic aid rather than stop it.
Additionally, Republicans might use Democratic opposition to its legislative priorities, such as tightening restrictions on immigration across the Mexican border, as a quid pro quo about Ukraine war efforts.
Photo: esfera via Shutterstock
