(no subject)

[timelets]

FORT WASHINGTON, Md.—Billions in potential American aid to Ukraine is stuck in monthslong limbo on Capitol Hill , and to the Trump-loving partisans attending this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, that's exactly as it should be.
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Many attendees argued that Putin was provoked by NATO's push to add Ukraine to the alliance. "Mitch McConnell is not a real Republican. He needs to go. He's too old, he's compromised, he does not represent the ideology of most Republicans," said Pat O'Brien of Fairfax, Va., a 67-year-old retiree. "The war is the fault of the U.S. We have no business encouraging Ukraine to join NATO. That's what triggered this whole thing."
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In recent weeks, Trump has declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Feb. 16 death of Alexei Navalny, instead comparing his own multifarious legal issues to the plight of the imprisoned opposition leader. He has said he wouldn't defend NATO countries that don't meet their financial commitments to the alliance but would instead encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want." In a CNN town hall in May, he refused to say which side he hoped would win the war.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) has said the chamber won't take up the Senate bill, which he acknowledges would likely pass if put on the House floor because most Democrats and many Republicans support it. But opposition from Trump and a growing share of the grassroots GOP base has made the issue toxic and divisive within the party. House Democrats are working to force the bill to the floor through a rarely used procedural gambit called a discharge petition, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

A group called Republicans for Ukraine this week launched a six-figure digital ad campaign in the districts of 10 House Republicans it hopes would support such an effort. A 60-second ad features rank and file GOP voters who argue that not doing so puts American national security at risk. The group's executive director, the anti-Trump GOP consultant Sarah Longwell, said the ad aims to show that not all the party's voters are in Trump's camp on the issue.

"Trump's always been in love with Putin, but now a big chunk of the Republican Party is as well," Longwell lamented in an interview. "If you grew up with the Cold War as a backdrop, to watch what's happening to the Republican Party right now is absolutely staggering. Ronald Reagan would be spinning in his grave."

https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/how-trump-turned-conservatives-against-helping-ukraine-d9f75b3b

Comments

[tijd]

"Two years into this war, the people of Ukraine continue to fight with tremendous courage. But they are running out of ammunition. Ukraine needs more supplies from the United States to hold the line against Russia’s relentless attacks, which are enabled by arms and ammunition from Iran and North Korea. That’s why the House of Representatives must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental bill, before it’s too late.
This bill provides urgent funding for Ukraine. It also invests in America’s own defense industrial base. It passed overwhelmingly in the Senate, and there is no question that, if the Speaker called a vote, it would pass quickly in the House. Congress knows that by supporting this bill, we can strengthen security in Europe, strengthen our security at home, and stand up to Putin. Opposing this bill only plays into his hands.
History is watching. The failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will not be forgotten. Now is the time for us to stand strong with Ukraine and stand united with our Allies and partners. Now is the time to prove that the United States stands up for freedom and bows down to no one."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-ahead-of-the-two-year-anniversary-of-russias-brutal-assault-against-ukraine/