FIRST ON FOX – Former Vice President Mike Pence is calling on fellow Republicans to support continued U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, arguing that such support is essential to counter both Russia and China.
Pence’s conservative nonprofit, Advancing American Freedoms, released a memo Tuesday stating that China is openly aiding Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and that defeating Russia would weaken China.
“China is openly assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine,” the memo said. “Defeating Russia hamstrings China.
“Russian control over Ukraine oil and natural gas, further fueling China’s expansionist ambitions,” it added.
Pence also argues that a Russian victory would empower both Russia and China, strengthening both authoritarian regimes.
While some Republican senators, such as Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell, have strongly supported Ukraine, many House Republicans have opposed further U.S. aid due to concerns about spending.
has significantly impacted Ukraine’s war effort during the winter and spring months and could potentially harm the Republican Party in the upcoming November elections.
“The Biden-Harris administration has failed America at home and abroad, so it is small wonder there are skeptics of continuing aid to Ukraine,” Pence said in a statement to Digital. “But the simple fact is America will be less secure if Ukraine falls.
“A more powerful Russia will only encourage China to be more aggressive. Standing firm in providing lethal aid to Ukraine will restrain authoritarian regimes from Tehran to Beijing, and, most importantly, will protect and secure our great nation,” he added.
However, concerns about U.S. border security and the national debt have also been cited by some Republicans as reasons for opposing continued Ukrainian support.
“Securing the border is primarily an issue of willpower, not a $$$ problem,” the AAF said in its memo, claiming that Putin in the past has “weaponized refugees” and he could do it again if he isn’t stopped in Ukraine.
“While there’s no question that the federal government has a massive overspending problem, lethal aid to Ukraine has been worth every penny,” it said.
The memo pointed out that the U.S. has used just 1.5 % of its federal budget to defend Ukraine and to “degrad[e] the Russian military from the second best in the world to the second best in Ukraine.”
“The cost of a Russian attack on a NATO ally, who we are treaty-bound to defend, would quickly exceed 1.5% of the federal budget,” AAF added. “It is in America’s best interests for Ukraine to win the war.”