Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mike Lee asked the White House for a more transparent strategy for aid given to Ukraine, comparing America's financial support to the nation's drawn-out military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Lee, a Republican, called Ukraine the "new obsession" for hawkish politicians in Washington, saying the effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's invasion is "officially America's new endless war," in a Fox News op-ed he penned alongside Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio.
"The Biden administration employs the same rhetoric and tactics that the Bush and Obama administrations used to conduct indefinite military engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention undeclared intervention in Libya, Syria and beyond," they wrote. "With billions flowing from the U.S. to the Ukrainian government in 'economic support,' long-term security guarantees and the reconstruction effort already underway, we can't help but feel a sense of deja vu.
"The United States is heading down the same path that mired us in Middle Eastern conflicts for over two decades, all without clearly articulating the objective or how victory is achieved."
Unlike the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. is not directly involved with troops on the ground. Between Jan. 24, 2022, and July 31, 2023, the U.S. has given $76.8 billion in humanitarian, financial and military aid; including infantry arms, artillery, air defense systems, missiles, helicopters, combat and surveillance drones, according to PBS NewsHour.
Lee has long been skeptical of the scope of U.S. support for Ukraine and has expressed doubts about adding the nation to NATO.
Ukraine is officially America's new endless war.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 3, 2023
Don't miss my latest op-ed with @WarrenDavidson 👇🏻https://t.co/8lwBNkfOgv
Although aid for Ukraine wasn't included in the recent stopgap spending measure reached over the weekend to keep the government open, President Joe Biden has urged congressional Republicans to support a bill to send more aid to Ukraine.
In the op-ed, Lee said the U.S. government has for too long deferred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when it comes to aid, and said he's introducing legislation to require Biden to submit a "comprehensive strategy to Congress regarding U.S. involvement in Ukraine."
"Thus far, Congress has been content to placate Ukraine by punting on any conversation regarding an actual strategy," he wrote. "But the winds are shifting. Skepticism from some, and outright opposition from others, continues to grow among fiscal conservatives and foreign policy realists on additional supplemental appropriations. The time is ripe for a national conversation regarding a real strategy for Ukraine."
Lee also called on the White House to offer more explanation for how a Ukraine victory supports America's national interest, how much money they plan to spend and how much support Ukraine will receive from European allies.
"Congress owes it to the American people, who are fatigued from decades of war in the Middle East, to hear from their president, not President Zelenskyy, the plan for U.S. engagement in Ukraine moving forward," he wrote.
After a call with several European leaders on Tuesday, Biden may call on other foreign leaders to step up their support for Ukraine, according to NBC News.
