Former NATO leader urges US not to withhold Ukraine aid: Putin 'will not stop'
Former NATO commander James Stavridis urged the Biden administration and lawmakers not to withhold aid from Ukraine in its war with Russia.
In an interview with host John Catsimatidis on "The Cats Roundtable," Stavridis said Russian President Vladimir Putin's goal is to "overrun" Ukraine, and he "not stop" as long as he is given the opportunity to conquer it.
“The question is: Where are we today?" he said in the interview that aired Sunday. "We were at a stalemate until U.S. aid started to run out, and as a result… the Russians are now starting to inch forward, and that's not gonna get better unless the U.S. provides this $60 billion additional amount of aid."
He was likely referring to a Senate-passed national security funding package that has $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, the legislation has largely been dormant, as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has refused to bring it to the floor without concessions, including provisions included for security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Now, John, I know that sounds like a lot of money, but in the context of the U.S. defense budget, which is about $900 billion, $60 billion is not a huge amount,” Stavridis said.
The former NATO chief said that if more aid is not given to Ukraine, Putin “has a reasonable shot at taking more territory” and he compared the situation watching "malevolent" Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s Germany “push across Europe.”
His comments come after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Wednesday that “starving” Ukraine of military support is “strategic and moral malpractice.”
“Starving Ukraine of needed capabilities wasn’t a smart way for the Biden administration to avoid escalation, and neither is it a political master stroke by some of the administration’s Republican opponents," he said on the Senate floor. "It is strategic and moral malpractice. It risks condemning Ukraine and undermining our own national interest."
Multiple Hollywood stars, including Sean Penn, Barbra Streisand and Mark Hamill, have also called on Congress to act on more U.S. support for Ukraine.
“[W]e are letting the Ukrainians down,” they wrote in an op-ed published in CNN earlier this week piece. “It has been more than 470 days since Congress passed legislation to support Ukraine. That is most of the time since Russia invaded in February 2022.”
The piece was also signed by comedian Kate McKinnon, film director J.J. Abrams and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer.
Despite his pushback to the Senate-backed bill, Johnson has vowed to move a bill forward that provides additional resources to Ukraine.
Date: | |
Tag: | Ukraine |
Filter
-
Palestinian leader appeals to US to stop Israel's Rafah offensive
Mahmoud Abbas says any attack on city could see large numbers of Palestinians flee Gaza entirely.BBC News - Top stories - Israel -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - Business - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
What new aid really means for Ukraine — and for Putin
Kyiv will have to husband its new resources carefully before trying to liberate Russian-occupied landFinancial Times - World - Ukraine -
Putin likely didn’t order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny: US official
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in FebruaryABC News - Top stories - Russia -
Poland’s foreign minister says Putin should fear a war with NATO
In a speech Thursday, Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski said Russian President Vladimir Putin should fear a war with NATO as it would inevitably end in Russia’s defeat. “It is not we, the West, who should fear a clash with Putin, but ...The Hill - Politics
More from The Hill
-
Riot police drag away protesters at University of Texas as Gaza tensions flare
State troopers in riot gear moved on Monday afternoon to clear out students attempting to occupy a quad at the University of Texas at Austin. Dozens of protesters were arrested on site, escalating tensions that began on Wednesday when the ...The Hill - Politics -
Jill Stein accuses police of assaulting her at protest
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein on Sunday alleged police assaulted her and other demonstrators shortly before being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. “Basically, the police ...The Hill - Politics -
US finds Israeli military units violated human rights
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story US finds Israeli military units violated human rights The State Department has determined that at least five Israeli ...The Hill - Politics - Israel -
Evening Report — Protests continue to spread on college campuses
A quick recap of the day and what to look forward to tomorrow {beacon} Evening Report © AP Pro-Palestinian protests escalate on college campuses Hundreds of students have been arrested on college campuses across the country as ...The Hill - Politics -
FCC fines wireless carriers
Presented by Microsoft — {beacon} Technology Technology PRESENTED BY The Big Story FCC fines major mobile carriers $200M The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a fine totaling $200 million to the nation’s four largest mobile ...The Hill - Politics