Skepticism over Ukraine aid pervasive at CPAC

National Harbor, Md. — This year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) underscored the clear divide among Republicans on aid to Ukraine, with speakers and attendees largely expressing their opposition to giving the nation more assistance.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dragged on for two years, but Democrats and some Republicans have been supportive of offering further aid to the Eastern European country. The Senate passed bipartisan legislation this month that includes assistance geared toward Ukraine and Israel, for it’s ongoing war against Palestinian militant group Hamas. 

But, a vocal faction of the Republican Party are pushing back against giving more money to Ukraine, as lawmakers argued at CPAC that the U.S. needs to focus more on domestic issues, like border security, and as some cast doubt that Ukraine can win against Russia. 

“I think that it is absurd for us to devote so many resources, so much attention and so much time to a border conflict 6,000 miles away when our own U.S. southern border is wide open,” Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) argued Friday.  

The issue of providing Ukraine with additional resources has become a lightning rod issue among former President Trump and Republican lawmakers. Trump, and many conservatives, have argued that the Biden administration is more interested in foreign conflicts than what’s happening in their own backyard.

“Decide, Joe Biden, which country matters more to you: The border of the United States or the border of Ukraine?” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said.

Trump and his allies have also expressed frustration around the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying allies that are a part of the military alliance have not been following a commitment to put 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) toward defense spending. 

The former president made headlines earlier this month when he suggested that he would let Russia do “whatever the hell they want” if that defense spending commitment wasn’t adhered to by a NATO country — though some attendees at CPAC either shrugged off the comment or said that would have been a step too far.  

“Our European allies, which consists of some very wealthy nations, underspend on their own defense, because they dupe you into paying for much of it,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told CPAC attendees Friday. 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg projected earlier this month that 18 NATO nations would meet the defense spending commitment this year, saying “European allies are spending more. However, some allies still have a ways to go.” 

At the same time, a cohort of Republicans still believe it’s in U.S. interests to continue supporting Ukraine. 

Earlier this month, senators voted to pass emergency defense spending bill that included the support of most Democrats and 22 Republicans that would put $60 billion toward aiding Ukraine and $14 billion toward Israel. The legislation, however, faces an uncertain future given House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) opposition to it.  

“The Senate understands the responsibilities of America’s national security and will not neglect them,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement after the Senate passed the legislation.  

“Our adversaries want America to decide that reinforcing allies and partners is not in our interest, and that investing in strategic competition is not worth it,” he added. “They want us to take hard-earned credibility and light it on fire.”

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, reasoned in a statement that lawmakers were stepping up to fill a void left by President Biden.  

“By strengthening and equipping America to push back against our adversaries’ aggression, Congress has stepped up to do the job this President will not,” she said. “This step is critical to reversing President Biden’s weakness on the world stage that has abandoned our partners, emboldened authoritarians, and put American lives at risk.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday that Moscow is “taking advantage of the delays in aid to Ukraine.” Lawmakers in recent days have traveled to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and a handful of Senate Democrats met with Zelensky Friday during a trip to Ukraine as they looked to underscore support for the country as it defends itself against Russia. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers met with the Ukrainian leader earlier this month. 

Yet Republicans keen to continue aiding Ukraine have found themselves at a crossroads with members of the party who have taken a more isolationist foreign policy approach. That message was not lost among attendees at CPAC, whose slogan this year was “where globalism goes to die.” 

“It is outrageous that too many people in the media, the Democratic Party and Joe Biden are trying to pull us into a war in Europe, no talk of peace deals. No talk of sitting down and resolving age-old conflicts,” claimed Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which hosts CPAC. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), another Trump ally who also sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he voted against the emergency defense spending bill “because I know they can’t win.” 

Many attendees at CPAC told The Hill they were also against or expressed skepticism toward further aid to Ukraine, echoing comments made by Trump and Republican lawmakers. 

“Absolutely not. 100 percent not,” said Christine Blanchard, a visitor from California. “It’s not our war, and we have plenty of problems domestically to take care of. Our funds should not be going to that.” 

“At the beginning of the conflict, I think we were all – all on board with that,” another visitor from Virginia, Ana Viso, responded. “I think now, as the crisis in our own country’s getting worse with our own border, I feel that we are – we should be moving more towards negotiations and trying to make peace between those two countries.” 

Viso acknowledged that while the U.S. “should be concerned about Putin,” she added that “we also I think have to look inward.” 

But others at the conference, including former lawmakers, believe the issue isn’t so black and white. 

“It makes no sense for the United States from a national security perspective, not to support our allies who are engaged with enemies of the United States,” said former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). “Russia is an enemy of the United States.”

Santorum added that the fissure between Republicans around offering further aid to Ukraine baffled him.  

“I don’t understand it,” he said.  

“It’s an alien view of thought to me as someone who’s been around the Republican Party for a long time,” the former lawmaker explained. “I understand that there is — there’s a lot of sentiment because of the war in Afghanistan and particularly Iraq, that people are concerned about foreign commitments. But, you know, … these are apples and oranges.”