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Mitch McConnell said that concessions to Russia by Donald Trump and the lifting of sanctions will not cause Vladimir Putin to stop.
Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell said that Trump's attempts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine through concessions to the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and restricting aid to Kyiv are “inevitably doomed.” After Ukraine lost full access to the Starlink satellite network, which sparked a fierce Washington reaction, McConnell has hardly commented on the war. Now the senator is firmly criticizing Trump’s actions and his approach to the war, The Hill reports.
In particular, McConnell, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, criticized Trump for his claim that Russia “has acted normally toward Ukraine.” The American president expressed this view in response to questions about Russia’s violation of the energy truce.
“This is practically wrong, strategically naive, and morally unacceptable. His sycophantic and compliant attitude toward Russia and rewarding the aggressor by lifting sanctions will not convince Putin to stop. History shows that such behavior emboldens the Russian autocrat, who perceives it as weakness,” McConnell wrote.
He also warned that by reducing U.S. military aid and exchanging intelligence with Ukraine, Trump risks repeating the mistake of former President Joe Biden. In June 2021 year, Biden suspended American military aid, fearing provoking Russia.
McConnell noted that threats to cut military and intelligence support for Ukraine or limit access to important satellite communication systems would not force Kyiv to abandon self-defense. At the same time, such actions could help Putin achieve battlefield gains that Russia has not yet been able to win. In the senator’s view, this could prolong the war rather than shorten it.
Moreover, the Republican senator criticized Trump’s deal with Putin on importing hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel fuel into the United States. McConnell noted that transferring limited stocks of Russian diesel to other buyers will hardly help lower prices at American gas stations. He also pointed out that the average price of diesel fuel in the United States still exceeds six dollars per gallon.
McConnell also did not agree with words of Trump’s special envoy Steve Bittkov, who called Putin a “humanitarian.”
“If the president is serious about his words to stop the conflict, he should listen to the wisdom of the American people, not to naive businessmen who seem to think diplomacy means currying favor with opponents. Putin can be anything, but he is certainly not a humanitarian,” noted McConnell.
The experienced Kentucky senator also said that allowing Putin to seize Ukrainian territory and to strengthen Russia’s influence in Ukraine and Europe in the future would harm U.S. interests. He stressed that Russia’s victory would have much more serious consequences for the U.S. economy and national security, and for its influence in the world, than a temporary rise in diesel prices.
McConnell also stated that Putin has led cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies and helped Iran strike at American forces and facilities in the Middle East. According to the senator, Putin is an ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and will continue to use any opportunity to weaken the United States and Europe.
“Europe is our largest trading partner and a driver of American economic growth. The outcome of this war that enables Russia to threaten Europe harms our own interests,” he added.
In conclusion, McConnell noted that the majority of Republican senators support Ukraine and disagree with the policy of concessions to Russia and its allies — China, North Korea, and Iran. He urged Trump to respect this position when preparing to approve the defense spending package, the validity of which is running out.
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Valeriy Chaly believes that after the midterm elections Trump may lose a significant amount of power. In his assessment, the chances of Republicans and Democrats winning a Senate are approximately equal, while in the House of Representatives Democrats could gain the majority, as happened in 2018 year.
Chaly noted that the most likely scenario, with a chance 60%, remains the traditional scenario where Democrats win in one of the Congressional chambers. Second is 25% — a confrontational scenario that plays out if Democrats take revenge and completely seize the Congress from Republicans. Although Chaly does not rule out the possibility that in the “blue” side not everything may be ready for such a chance. More details about possible midterm election outcomes in the United States and their consequences for Trump are in Chaly’s article “Where America Is Going for Trump: Three Scenarios of U.S. Midterm Elections.”
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