Funding of Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks is becoming a flashpoint among Republicans as the party nears taking the majority in the House and potentially the Senate.
With Republicans poised to take the chairmanships of funding committees next year, calls by some to limit or end support to Ukraine are coming into focus and facing pushback from Kyiv’s supporters and international diplomats.
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The tug-of-war spilled into the public on Friday when former Trump-era diplomat Jim Gilmore, the former Virginia governor and a leading supporter of Ukraine, pressed conservative House firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to pull back on her calls for defunding.
Citing a campaign speech during which Greene said that Ukraine would not receive “another penny” should the GOP take control of the House, Gilmore asked that she recant.
“You are carrying the Russian message, and you should not do that,” he said in a letter to Greene that was shared with Secrets. He made requests to other conservatives who have made similar comments, including Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Greene is unlikely to recant, though she was unavailable to react Friday.
In an Iowa speech last week, Greene said Democrats are too focused on the Russia-Ukraine war, especially with tax dollars. “The only border they care about is Ukraine, not America’s southern border,” Greene said. “Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine. Our country comes first. They don’t care about our border or our people,” she added.
Gilmore was the ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 2019 to 2021 and is a former Republican Party chairman.
He wrote: “Ukraine has been able to defend their country only because of material and financial support from the United States and its allies in Europe and beyond. The Russians do not appear able to win their war of aggression on the battlefield, but they can still win the information war, by persuading the American people that they should withdraw their critical support for Ukraine.”
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He added: “Perhaps you exaggerated in front of a political rally with your ‘not another penny’ statement. As a lifelong Reagan conservative, I would agree it is reasonable to impose oversight for American aid, if procedures are not in place to secure those funds and equipment. If that is what you meant, I ask you to say so clearly now. If not addressed, you have done real damage to the national interest and national security of the United States. I urge you to make a corrective statement immediately.”
Gilmore’s letter about her comments is the latest indication of Greene’s growing influence in the GOP and her likely emergence as the leader of a Trump wing in the House caucus.
