Photo of two people walking by destroyed buildings

A building damaged by attacks in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Natacha Pisarenko/AP Images

Should the U.S. Continue to Support Ukraine’s War Effort?

December 11, 2023

Since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Congress has approved more than $75 billion in humanitarian, financial, and military support for Ukraine. In September, the Biden administration announced it would send additional security funds to Ukraine valued at up to $325 million.

Some lawmakers say aiding Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself is in the best interest of U.S. national security. But a growing faction in Congress has been speaking out against continued American support, arguing that the U.S. has already sent enough aid and should focus more on issues at home. In a September poll by ABC News and The Washington Post, 41 percent of Americans said the U.S. is doing too much to support Ukraine, up from 14 percent in April 2022.

Two Republican senators face off on whether the U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine in the war.

Jim McMahon

There are some who argue that the United States should stop aiding Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, and focus solely on our own interests here at home. That is a false and dangerous choice. We can and should do both.

It is strongly in America’s best interest to see Ukraine succeed and Russia fail. Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom against a brutal Russian military that kills civilians and indiscriminately bombs communities. History has shown Russia to be an enemy of freedom; and Putin’s regime continues to commit widespread human rights abuses.

Some argue that the U.S. has sent enough money to Ukraine. But we’re only spending about 5 percent of the entire U.S. defense budget helping Ukraine substantially erode Russia’s military capability, without putting a single U.S. servicemember on the battlefield.

In many instances, the military equipment we’re sending to Ukraine is no longer used by our own military and funding authorized by Congress is used to refill our supply with the most up-to-date technologies. U.S. support has been amplified by our European allies, who are also shouldering the burden of taking in Ukrainian refugees.

It is strongly in America’s interest to see Ukraine succeed and Russia fail.

United States Congress

Senator Mitt Romney

Russian victory would be a win for authoritarianism. Putin may be tempted to invade another neighbor, and the Chinese Communist Party could be emboldened to invade Taiwan. China is our greatest foe right now; Russia is its biggest ally. Helping Ukraine decimate Russia’s military weakens China, making it less likely to invade Taiwan.

Preventing China from invading Taiwan is critical to our national security. Taiwan is the source of almost three-fourths of the world’s semiconductors, which our society heavily relies on. We cannot allow China to monopolize the world’s semiconductor supply.

Doing the right thing for another nation can also be the right thing for America. I proudly stand with the people of Ukraine and I hope you will, too.

—SENATOR MITT ROMNEY

Republican of Utah

The U.S. should end its involvement in Ukraine. America is many great things, but we cannot be the world’s policeman.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unjust, and Americans are right to be infuriated. But this is no basis for military intervention and continued economic support of the war. There are injustices all over the world that deserve our outrage. Many happen here in our own country. People are trafficked illegally across our southern border, young Americans die of drug overdoses, and working-class families are struggling to make ends meet. These are American tragedies. We should solve them before we get involved in another country’s war.

It’s also not in our strategic interest to fuel the conflict in Ukraine. America is being asked to furnish endless resources for an indefinite conflict. Sending weapons to Ukraine has only deepened the conflict while depleting our own critical military stockpiles, which we may need to defend ourselves and our own interests. If China invades Taiwan, it could crush the U.S. economy. We cannot afford to defend Taiwan and Ukraine at the same time.

Sending weapons to Ukraine has only depleted our own military stockpiles.

United States Congress

Senator J.D. Vance

Russia has the most nuclear weapons of any country in the world. When Ukraine uses our weapons and our missiles against Russia, the Russians view that as a direct attack from the U.S. What if they respond by launching a nuclear weapon at our homeland? The world would never be the same.

I served as a U.S. Marine during the Iraq War, a conflict that proved to be a massive error in judgment. We ignored diplomatic options that were on the table in Iraq. Today our country is making many of the same mistakes that we made then. If we continue moving down this path, young people could end up fighting in a failed war like I did.

America faces pressing challenges, but the war in Ukraine distracts us from them. We must face reality and step away from aiding Ukraine in this conflict.

—SENATOR J.D. VANCE

Republican of Ohio