The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Monday there is “overwhelming” support in the United States to continue providing aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, despite open opposition from a faction of his own party. .
Republican Rep. Michael Turner, chairman of the panel, which serves as the main House body to oversee US intelligence organizations, was joined by three other Republican lawmakers for a brief visit to Kiev.
“There are some on the left and on the right who question whether or how much support is being given. That will certainly be part of the debate,” Turner said. “But overwhelmingly, there is support to continue to help Ukraine, so that they can continue their fight against this aggression from Russia.”
Ranking Republicans in the House of Representatives have been laying the groundwork for maintaining US assistance to Ukraine, but they face opposition from within their ranks. Spurred on by former President Donald Trump’s “America First” stance, many Republican lawmakers are calling for an end to aid to Ukraine, opening the possibility of an intense political dispute once current U.S. aid dries up.
For example, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival to Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, recently indicated that defending Ukraine in a “territorial dispute” with Russia was not a significant US national security priority. He later retracted that comment after receiving criticism from other party members.
With the war in Ukraine entering its second year, Representative Chris Stewart said the American people would continue to stand by as long as American resources are used sensibly.”
“This is going to take some time,” he said of the war. “That is not surprising. Most conflicts like this, between nations, take time to resolve. I think the American people understand that, as long as they feel progress is being made in being careful with money and being considerate about how we engage America’s resources.”
Stewart, who is also a member of the intelligence committee, noted that NATO members should also honor their commitments to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.
