Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), a prominent non-interventionist Republican U.S. Senator, is leading an effort to achieve greater transparency into the U.S. support for Ukraine, by sending a letter to Biden administration Budget Director Shalanda Young.
In a letter that was signed by prominent war-skeptical Republicans such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Vance called for “a full crosscutting report on U.S. government-wide expenditures for Ukraine and ‘countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine’ since February 24, 2022”.
Vance went on to elaborate on what exactly he expected from the report.
“The report should also include a list of countries the administration considers ‘impacted by the situation in Ukraine’ and an accounting of budgetary resources the administration intends to provide to each of these countries in response to the situation in Ukraine including obligations, apportionments, and outlays,” Vance requested.
Vance noted that $114 billion had been spent in support of Ukraine’s war effort against its neighbor, Russia, which announced an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine has sought massive military aid from Western powers, predominantly the United States, in order to continue its fight against its more powerful enemy. However, many conservative Republicans have questioned whether there is a U.S. strategic interest in this conflict, given Ukraine’s inability to provide direct benefit to U.S. national security.
