Republican lawmakers are beginning to call on US President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to suspend US military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine.
The Hill reports that Republicans warn that a prolonged suspension of US military aid would have seriously detrimental consequences.
In their opinion, Trump had the right to temporarily suspend arms supplies to Ukraine to assess the course of the war, put pressure on NATO allies, and create a window for negotiating a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
But at the same time, GOP lawmakers warn that stopping the supply of weapons and ammunition for too long could have a devastating effect on Ukraine’s combat capability, undermining its leverage in negotiations with Russia.
In addition, they emphasize the need to immediately resume intelligence sharing, as the lawmakers say the United States is unlikely to benefit from depriving Ukraine of critical intelligence from the battlefield.
“This is a concern for the Ukrainian people. I’m more concerned about how the people on the battlefield are going to feel about this,” said Senator Thom Tillis, commenting on the pause in U.S. military supplies.
Tillis warned that the pause in aid announced on Monday “could be helpful to Putin.”
He said that Ukraine has enough weapons and ammunition to hold the front line for now but expressed hope that the pause in military aid would not last long.
The senator added that he was “not against” the pause if it was a short-term “negotiating tactic.”
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said she opposed the suspension of military aid.
“I don’t think we should suspend our efforts. It’s the Ukrainians who are shedding blood,” she said, calling the current moment ”critical for Ukraine.”
Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune emphasized that the pause in military aid to Ukraine would be temporary.
“It’s a pause, which is important, not a stop. I think this is part of the negotiations. And I hope that eventually we will bring people to the table and we will be able to negotiate an agreement that will bring a peaceful resolution to this three-year conflict and hopefully respect the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Senator Lindsey Graham also noted that he was concerned about Trump’s announced pause in intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“I’m very concerned about this in the long run,” he said.
Senator John Cornyn, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that “the intelligence we provided to the Ukrainians was critical to enable them to continue their fight.”
“I hope the pause will be lifted at some point,” he said.
Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said he did not support the decision to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine and hoped that the pause in military assistance to Ukraine would be only temporary.
Trump announced his decision to halt all military aid to Ukraine, including that which was already on its way, on March 4.
Reports surfaced on March 5 indicating a halt to the intelligence exchange, which included information on Russian missile launches from Russian territory. Unofficially, NATO allies have expressed increased anxiety over Washington’s move, questioning the United States’ continued trustworthiness.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine could last until Donald Trump decides that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supports peace talks with Russia.
