Many Americans feel the U.S. is barreling towards disaster. Now one Republican is blowing the whistle.
And this GOP Senator issued a grave warning that will leave you speechless.
Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance said in a Monday email that combining assistance for Ukraine with funding for Israel is a “grave error that betrays a lack of strategic focus.”
“Each conflict is distinct and represents a different claim on U.S. interests,” he warned in a memo circulated to Senate Republicans and the House Freedom Caucus.
The senator emphasized that Israel has a “strategic imperative to secure its borders and degrade Hamas” in light of the horrible Hamas incursion on Oct. 7. The Israeli actions “will help secure the Gaza Strip,” according to Vance, while the Ukraine conflict has “jeopardized the European security architecture and threatens global disorder.”
According to Vance, the United States’ political and military relationship with Israel is “qualitatively different” from the United States’ relationship with Ukraine, noting that Israel is “one of the cornerstones of U.S. foreign and security policy” and that Ukraine’s struggles with corruption will likely worsen its relationship with the U.S. “in coming decades.”
Vance further said that Israel’s aid requests will be “specific, targeted to essential military systems to support a capable, well-trained, well-disciplined military,” whereas Ukraine’s help will be “neither well-scoped nor secure.”
According to the letter, Israel has an attainable goal: “to degrade Hamas within the 140 square-mile Gaza Strip.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine will “require decades to recover its territory through force of arms and will be at risk of running out of men and munitions well before then,” according to Vance.
“The United States does not have a plan in Ukraine, but we do have a plan in Israel,” the letter goes on to say.
“Israel has a clear plan, and we have a clear means of helping them to fulfill that plan – by providing very specific munitions to enable Israel to conduct a limited operation with a view to neutralizing the threat Hamas poses to Israel.”
“We have no such plan for the Russia-Ukraine War,” he told reporters. “The Administration has stated time and again that the United States is engaged in Ukraine’s war for ‘as long as it takes.'”
Vance warned that the United States’ lack of strategy in Ukraine “runs extraordinary risks,” adding that a prolonged conflict might allow Russia to exploit its “considerable advantages” over Ukraine and offer opportunities to deepen or intensify the conflict.
“Major wars create wrenching decision-points that risk escalating conflict and expanding it to neighboring territories,” the paper goes on to say.
“The consequence of the U.S. failure to elucidate a clear, achievable strategy in Ukraine had made U.S. policy and the American people hostages to fortune and prisoners of hope.”
Last week, nine Republican senators warned against including any Ukraine funds in the aid package being sent to Israel in the aftermath of Hamas terrorist assaults.
Vance, Mike Braun of Indiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Josh Hawley of Missouri were among those who voted.
“We know there will no doubt be efforts to attach any funding to Israel to more aid to Ukraine, in excess of the $113 billion Congress has already provided to Ukraine,” the senators said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday.
“These are two separate conflicts and it would be wrong to leverage support of aid to Israel in attempt to get additional aid for Ukraine across the finish line.”
“Furthermore,” the senators said, “it would be irresponsible and we should not risk a government shutdown by bundling these priorities together and thus complicating the process and lessening the likelihood of a funding package.”
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
