The plea came from a delegation of chairs of foreign affairs committees from six countries in Europe and Canada, meeting with U.S. lawmakers in-between their fraught negotiations over border security policy that is holding up a major funding package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
“The reality is the U.S. also needs a wake-up call,” said U.K. Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
“If Taiwan is invaded, the U.S. will need to lead on it alongside Japan, Korea and Australia, and we in Europe will have to lead on Ukraine, and we’ll have to turn around and say to the U.S., we cannot give you what you want in support for Taiwan.”
The European lawmakers framed their message as tough love for an ally that is engulfed in partisan chaos.
And while the Europeans defended their contributions and commitments to Ukraine – $160 billion between Europe, Canada and Japan — they also conceded there is no substitute for America’s military support for Ukraine, nor its leadership on the global stage.
The delegation, which included lawmakers from Canada, the Czech Republic, Spain, France and Lithuania, expressed optimism that Republicans and Democrats are committed to delivering on President Biden’s $60 billion request to support Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia.
But Republicans writ large have increasingly soured on Ukraine support over the past year, with many arguing taxpayer dollars should be focused on domestic issues. Former President Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war if he returns to the White House, raising fears that he will pressure Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
