AID TO UKRAINE MUST COME WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There is certainly significant support for Ukraine in my district, including in Schuylkill County, which has the highest percentage of Ukrainians among all counties in the U.S.

My connection to Ukraine is rooted in my heritage. My great-grandfather was from Lviv, and my grandmother was born Anastasia Predzermirski. Her father shortened the name to Ann Pred when she was a young girl. My great-grandfather’s first stop was the Pennsylvania coal mines.

Last year, I visited the Ukrainian border and refugee camps in Moldova. I sat with families, mothers and their children, and talked about how concerned they were that their husbands/fathers were back in Ukraine fighting Putin’s army.

I’ve met and spoken with President Zelenskyy since the outbreak of the war, and it is understood that Vladamir Putin is a war criminal. I believe he is as ruthless, morally corrupt, and evil as any tyrant in history. Putin wrote extensively, and relatively recently, about his goal to unite the now-sovereign countries that made up the Soviet Union. He clearly does not intend to stop at Ukraine.

So yes, I wholeheartedly want, and will support, the defeat and withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. The bordering nations in Europe are preparing for the worst, thinking Putin may be successful in Ukraine. This is a real threat.

Ukraine is known as the “breadbasket” of Eastern Europe. Therefore, under what is becoming the Axis powers of Russia, Iran, China, and perhaps North Korea, an argument can be made that the invasion of Ukraine is a step toward destabilizing the world.

The Biden Administration’s initial response to the Russian military buildup along the Ukrainian border, which set the stage for the invasion, was woefully inadequate. There was minimal resolve from the Biden Administration for a strong response, which emboldened Putin. I know this is a fact, as I was privy to the initial terms the U.S. extended to Russia. I believe these terms were only classified because they were weak, and frankly, a joke.

Currently, the American taxpayer has provided Ukraine with $110 billion in economic and military aid since the invasion. The entire European Union and NATO nations with equivalent GDP had only contributed €65 billion until a recent vote to provide an additional €58 billion in loans. For months, proportional aid from our NATO allies was something I strongly advocated for.

I support strong military aid to Ukraine, but the Senate’s proposal for an additional $95 billion in aid lacks detail, accountability, and oversight – despite a proposal of this nature demanding a high-level of micromanagement in the administration of funds. It is essential that any legislation includes stringent oversight to ensure that funds are used effectively and reach their intended targets.

Moreover, the discharge petition, which would take up the deeply flawed Senate foreign aid bill is excessive and includes funds that simply cannot be accounted for. Also, it relies solely on taxpayer funding to aid Ukraine and overlooks the potential of leveraging seized Russian assets. In fact, I co-sponsored legislation, the Ukraine Reconstruction Act (H.R. 5370), which would seize frozen Russian assets and use the money to support Ukraine. This approach not only provides significant financial resources in place of taxpayer funds but also sends a clear message to aggressors about the consequences of their actions. Additionally, enhancing border security and implementing comprehensive sanctions against Russia are critical components of a robust strategy to support Ukraine while also protecting our national interests.

Our commitment to aiding Ukraine should not be at the expense of unmonitored spending. It is possible to support Ukraine’s defense and sovereignty through responsible measures that include leveraging frozen assets, imposing stringent sanctions, and ensuring that any financial aid is accompanied by oversight mechanisms. Additionally, all aid, whether to Ukraine or Israel, should be in the form of a loan. This is something President Trump emphasizes, and he’s right. If need be, such loans can always be forgiven down the line, but loans can never be established retroactively. And considering our high levels of debt, this is certainly a smart practice.

The American taxpayers deserve to know we are providing meaningful and lethal aid to the Ukrainian forces that yield imminent and overwhelming blows to Russian forces. As well, we must enact a maximum pressure campaign through sanctions against Russia. That means a full ban on Russian oil and accompanying sanctions against all Russian oligarchs and Putin’s family. It makes no sense to continue to ask American taxpayers to fund the Ukrainian freedom fighters while allowing Russia to continue fortifying its war effort through the sale of oil and other resources.

We must have a serious and comprehensive approach to defeating Putin. I would not hold up, at least minimal, military support as long as it is strictly confined to essential military supplies. The United States must retain complete control over procurement, and it must be ensured that no United States currency is involved in any agreement. The Biden Administration is weak, slow, and wrong on our border and international policy, and the crises here at home and around the world are the result.