.jpg)
Feb. 19, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: In your excellent Feb. 14 editorial, “Ukraine Aid Is Good For America,” you wrote: “Supporting Ukraine now is in our direct national interest, and shouldn’t be a political football. Not voting aid to Ukraine would be a shameful and craven act.”
Absolutely. Which is why it is so disgraceful that our Republican Rep. Ben Cline is joining other MAGA Republicans in Congress to oppose further U.S. aid to Ukraine as that country fights to resist murderous Russian aggression.
In an interview with the rightwing news site “Just the News,” Cline claimed there is “zero accountability” on how American aid is spent. But the Institute for the Study of War reports. “U.S. oversight is extensive, and Ukrainian government oversight and accountability is extensive and growing … U.S. [Department of Defense] officials have stated that there is no evidence that U.S.-provided military assistance to Ukraine has been misappropriated.”
Cline added, “We have an administration that doesn’t know what success is, can’t define success in Ukraine, and wants to send more taxpayer dollars into this black hole of a proxy war.”
Congressman Cline: What sort of definition of “success” are you looking for? How about: Helping Ukraine resist, and ultimately defeat, Russian aggression. Does that work for you?
And what do you mean by a “proxy war”? Are you saying that the U.S. is using Ukraine as a proxy in a war against Russia? It was Russia that invaded Ukraine. Ukraine is fighting for its survival as a free and independent nation with the assistance of the U.S. and other countries. Without additional aid, Russia could crush Ukraine, which is already suffering ammunition shortages due to the Congressional delay. Can you grasp that?
In rejecting further aid, Cline is following the wishes of Donald Trump, whom he was pleased to endorse for president in 2024. It seems that endorsement entails doing whatever Trump wants him to do.
Shame on Cline and the other craven Republicans who are willing to betray the brave Ukrainian people to please Trump. GENE ZITVER Lexington
