Mitch McConnell urges US to 'wake up' to Russian threat on anniversary of war in Ukraine 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republic of Kentucky) on Friday called on the United States and its allies to renew their determination to help Ukraine fight Russian "banditry" by sending members of his own party supporting the have become skeptical about the Ukraine struggle The conflict has dragged on for more than a year. 

"America and our friends must stop waking up from our historic vacation, welcome Finland and Sweden to NATO this summer, and make significant investments in military modernization and our defense capabilities commensurate with the grand challenges we face," he said McConnell. . in a statement just before his appearance alongside President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki to support Finland's bid for NATO membership.

's message stands in stark contrast to one pushed by former President Donald Trump and some Republicans in Congress, who criticized President Biden's trip to Kiev earlier this week and called for an end or slowdown in aid to Ukraine. In a tweet, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga), a far-right ally of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and one of dozens of House Republicans who voted against aid to Ukraine in May, Biden's trip "offensive". ". ." and proof that "he chose Ukraine, and not America.), traveled to the Munich Security Conference in Germany last week to reassure European allies that the Congress, which is split into a GOP-controlled House of Representatives and a Democrat-controlled Senate, will continue to arm and fund Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will support. 

The longtime Republican leader insisted Friday that handing over money to Ukraine was "not an act of charity" on the part of the United States, and urged European countries to devote more of their own resources to the effort. 

“If Putin were given the green light to destabilize Europe, invade and kill at his will, the long-term cost to the United States, both in dollars and in security threats, would be astronomically greater than the tiny fraction of our GDP we have have invested in Ukraine's defense so far," McConnell said in a statement.
Congress gave Ukraine billions in aid late last year, which should run until September. 

The issue is contentious for Republicans who would be running for their party's presidential nomination in 2024. Trump, who announced his candidacy, is governor of Florida.McCarthy said he was not advocating a "blank check" for aid to Ukraine but did not rule out the possibility of further assistance. And some of McCarthy's best allies, including Congressman Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also visited Munich last week.