WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said after a visit to Kyiv that he expects the Senate to pass a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine with broad bipartisan backing on Wednesday, and countered what he called the “isolationist voices” in his own party.
McConnell, R-Ky., speaking to reporters on a call from Sweden, made the pledge after leading a group of Republican senators on Saturday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called for swift passage of the aid.
“What I assured him — as this is an all-Republican delegation — is that support for Ukraine and this war against the Russians is bipartisan,” McConnell said Sunday, including from “an overwhelming majority of Republicans.”
The Republican leader has been an early backer of Ukraine, urging Dec. 6 for the US to send Ukraine whatever arms the country needs to defend itself. That puts him at odds with more isolationist members of the GOP, including fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who held up the Ukraine aid last week and argues it spends too much at a time of high inflation.
“There have always been isolationist voices in the Republican Party,” McConnell said. “I think one of the lessons we learned in World War II is not standing up to aggression early is a huge mistake.”
McConnell, who is in Stockholm with a GOP delegation that also includes senior Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Barrasso of Wyoming and John Cornyn of Texas, said he plans to visit Helsinki next as Sweden and Finland consider joining NATO.
McConnell called their interest in joining NATO “one of the good things to come out of this invasion.”
And he called on President Joe Biden to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“The president could do it on his own and I would urge him to do it,” he said.
His message to Zelenskyy was that support for Ukraine remains strong, despite some resistance in his own party.
“This naked aggression must not stand,” McConnell said. Russia won’t stop at war with Ukraine if it succeeds there, he said.
“This is not some handout. This is to prevent this ruthless thug from beginning a march through Europe,” McConnell said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The first place to stop him is in Ukraine and that’s what we’re determined to do.”
McConnell indicated he’s prepared to back Ukraine for the long term, acknowledging the war “could drag on.”
“My definition of victory is whatever Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians conclude is a satisfactory end,” he said.
McConnell said it’s impossible to know how long the latest package will last and when another might be needed, but he pushed back on critics in the GOP who have argued war spending should not take precedence over domestic problems like inflation.
McConnell blamed inflation on Democrats spending an extra $2 trillion last year, not war spending.
“We’re talking about $40 billion, not $2 trillion,” he said.
Some 57 Republicans in the House opposed the bill, which comes after Congress previously approved nearly $14 billion in aid. No Democrats were opposed. Critics also include some Republican U.S. Senate candidates, including J.D. Vance in Ohio and Kathy Barnette in Pennsylvania.
The Senate is set to vote Monday to end a filibuster by Paul against taking up the House-passed spending bill. That would set up a final passage vote on Wednesday, McConnell said.
“Hopefully not many members of my party will choose to politicize this issue,” he said.
