Responding to pro-war Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) attacks on anyone who questions continued funding for Ukraine, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) went scorched earth in an interview calling out the “corruption” in Ukraine and declaring his opposition to sending billions more in American taxpayer dollars overseas.
On Wednesday, Graham attacked his colleagues who expressed reluctance to approve more aid to Ukraine, on top of the more than $100 billion in American taxpayer dollars that have been used to fund the war. The South Carolina senator went on to claim that critics have no right to complain about the funding unless they had been to Ukraine to see the war first-hand. These comments came as Congress is currently debating President Joe Biden’s request for another $24 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Paul fired back at Graham for his remarks during a Thursday appearance on Fox Business, arguing that the U.S. cannot afford to continue sending money to Ukraine without incurring more debt — which he said was financially irresponsible considering a looming government shutdown.
“I am sympathetic to Ukraine fighting off the Russian aggressors, but at the same time I think it’s irresponsible to think about their country before I think about my country,” the Kentucky senator explained.
Paul went on to note that the U.S. has already funded Ukraine’s war effort to the tune of over $100 billion — and even if the latest aid package is approved, Ukraine will just come back a few months from now “begging for more.”
He then proceeded to go scorched earth on Ukraine itself — arguing that it is immoral to demand American taxpayers fund a country with such a “bloated” government full of “corruption.” In his argument, Paul cited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s refusal to hold elections unless the U.S. funds them, his government’s decision to ban multiple political parties, and the government’s raids on churches and arrests of priests.
Joe Biden’s sugar baby, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, just cancelled the 2024 elections in Ukraine and said he will remain President until the war is over.
How did the United States respond to this anti-democratic act?
Well, by sending him another $500,000,000 of course! pic.twitter.com/Zb0VjEXLHn
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) June 27, 2023
“They’ve canceled the elections. What kind of democracy has no election? So next year, Zelenskyy said he’s not going to have an election because it would be inconvenient during the war and it would be expensive. Well, the thing is, if you don’t have elections, why in the world are we supporting a country that’s not a democracy?” Paul asked.
“They’ve banned political parties, they’ve invaded churches, they’ve arrested priests. So no, it isn’t a democracy, it’s a corrupt regime,” he explained.
While Paul did claim that Russia was “worse” than Ukraine, he pointed out that the American people should not be forced to choose sides in a war between two corrupt countries that does not directly involve them — especially when “we don’t have the money.”
Paul also confirmed on Wednesday that he would not be voting for any government spending package that included funding for Ukraine.
Today I'm putting congressional leadership & @POTUS on notice that I will oppose any effort to hold the federal government hostage for Ukraine funding. I will not consent to expedited passage of any spending measure that provides any more US aid to Ukraine.…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 20, 2023
