McConnell: Supporting Ukraine Is ‘a Direct Investment in Cold, Hard American Interests’

McConnell Today members of ░░░░░░░░ will have the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ assemble in a joint ░░░░░░░░ and hear from President ░░░░░░░░ of Ukraine I look ░░░░░░░░ to welcoming President Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ the Capitol and to ░░░░░░░░ from the Ukrainian people ░░░░░░░░ elected leader at a ░░░░░░░░ moment in their struggle ░░░░░░░░ their safety and their ░░░░░░░░ against Russia s unhinged ░░░░░░░░ The people of Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ reminded the entire free ░░░░░░░░ about the meaning of ░░░░░░░░ and the price of ░░░░░░░░ They ve fought back ░░░░░░░░ the invaders with inspiring ░░░░░░░░ And let s be ░░░░░░░░ The reason that a ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan majority of the ░░░░░░░░ people and big bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ in Congress support continuing ░░░░░░░░ assist Ukraine is not ░░░░░░░░ about inspiring speeches or ░░░░░░░░ desire to engage in ░░░░░░░░ The Ukrainian people are ░░░░░░░░ and innocent and they ░░░░░░░░ our help President Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ an inspiring leader But ░░░░░░░░ most basic reasons for ░░░░░░░░ to help Ukraine degrade ░░░░░░░░ defeat the Russian invaders ░░░░░░░░ cold hard practical American ░░░░░░░░ Helping equip our friends ░░░░░░░░ Eastern Europe to win ░░░░░░░░ war is also a ░░░░░░░░ investment in reducing Putin ░░░░░░░░ future capabilities to menace ░░░░░░░░ threaten our allies and ░░░░░░░░ our core interests Defeating ░░░░░░░░ Russians will help prevent ░░░░░░░░ security crises in Europe ░░░░░░░░ will prevent even further ░░░░░░░░ chaos that would roil ░░░░░░░░ American trading partners and ░░░░░░░░ American workers and families ░░░░░░░░ It will massively wear ░░░░░░░░ the arsenal that is ░░░░░░░░ to Putin for future ░░░░░░░░ to use bullying and ░░░░░░░░ to redraw still other ░░░░░░░░ down the road And ░░░░░░░░ will send a stark ░░░░░░░░ to other would be ░░░░░░░░ like the People s ░░░░░░░░ of China By assisting ░░░░░░░░ today America is directly ░░░░░░░░ our commitment to the ░░░░░░░░ principles of territorial integrity ░░░░░░░░ national sovereignty changing the ░░░░░░░░ for others considering military ░░░░░░░░ and lowering the odds ░░░░░░░░ far costlier and far ░░░░░░░░ deadly future conflicts in ░░░░░░░░ process So I ll ░░░░░░░░ it one more time ░░░░░░░░ our support continuing our ░░░░░░░░ for Ukraine is morally ░░░░░░░░ but it s not ░░░░░░░░ that It s also ░░░░░░░░ direct investment in cold ░░░░░░░░ American interests That s ░░░░░░░░ Republicans rejected that s ░░░░░░░░ Republicans rejected the Biden ░░░░░░░░ s original request for ░░░░░░░░ assistance because it was ░░░░░░░░ The Administration s initial ░░░░░░░░ assumed there would be ░░░░░░░░ lull in fighting over ░░░░░░░░ winter and so the ░░░░░░░░ rates of weapons would ░░░░░░░░ decrease But hoping for ░░░░░░░░ best cannot mean that ░░░░░░░░ fail to prepare for ░░░░░░░░ worst Rather than slowing ░░░░░░░░ we should be speeding ░░░░░░░░ international deliveries to Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ help them take back ░░░░░░░░ territory and better prepare ░░░░░░░░ whenever they need wherever ░░░░░░░░ next go on their ░░░░░░░░ So Republicans pushed hard ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate to ░░░░░░░░ the amount of security ░░░░░░░░ in this bill I ░░░░░░░░ glad our Democratic colleagues ░░░░░░░░ around The agreement on ░░░░░░░░ table increases weapons purchases ░░░░░░░░ support Ukraine beyond the ░░░░░░░░ s request This assistance ░░░░░░░░ in our national security ░░░░░░░░ but it is also ░░░░░░░░ America s economic interest ░░░░░░░░ investments will help expand ░░░░░░░░ defense manufacturing capacity and ░░░░░░░░ to an industry that ░░░░░░░░ high paying American jobs ░░░░░░░░ money is tied to ░░░░░░░░ oversight requirements to ensure ░░░░░░░░ America s investments reach ░░░░░░░░ the intended targets There ░░░░░░░░ been meaningful oversight over ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine assistance all along ░░░░░░░░ way including by three ░░░░░░░░ Inspectors General and the ░░░░░░░░ Accountability Office And on ░░░░░░░░ of that last week ░░░░░░░░ NDAA the last week ░░░░░░░░ NDAA will put in ░░░░░░░░ even further expansions in ░░░░░░░░ more end use monitoring ░░░░░░░░ stricter reporting requirements And ░░░░░░░░ President the oversight won ░░░░░░░░ stop there Just as ░░░░░░░░ ranking members have worked ░░░░░░░░ to maximize the impact ░░░░░░░░ our assistance the incoming ░░░░░░░░ Republican majority will be ░░░░░░░░ to use their gavels ░░░░░░░░ keep an even closer ░░░░░░░░ on Ukraine aid and ░░░░░░░░ sure the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ doing everything possible to ░░░░░░░░ our defense industrial base ░░░░░░░░ America is uniquely capable ░░░░░░░░ leading this effort we ░░░░░░░░ not and are not ░░░░░░░░ so all by ourselves ░░░░░░░░ Eastern Front allies and ░░░░░░░░ in Poland Latvia Lithuania ░░░░░░░░ and Finland have risen ░░░░░░░░ the challenge of backing ░░░░░░░░ in the fight against ░░░░░░░░ So too have some ░░░░░░░░ European powers And some ░░░░░░░░ across Europe deserve credit ░░░░░░░░ changing course making substantial ░░░░░░░░ in their own militaries ░░░░░░░░ starting to unwind years ░░░░░░░░ neglect of national defense ░░░░░░░░ some other European allies ░░░░░░░░ lagged behind They can ░░░░░░░░ must do more both ░░░░░░░░ stand with Ukraine today ░░░░░░░░ rebuild their own strength ░░░░░░░░ forward Finally we all ░░░░░░░░ that Ukraine s fight ░░░░░░░░ retake its territory is ░░░░░░░░ the beginning nor the ░░░░░░░░ of the West s ░░░░░░░░ strategic competition with Putin ░░░░░░░░ Russia Increasing the pressure ░░░░░░░░ Putin s regime can ░░░░░░░░ should be a bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ That will take concrete ░░░░░░░░ like sanctions with teeth ░░░░░░░░ empty symbolism If our ░░░░░░░░ colleagues are serious about ░░░░░░░░ this effort Republicans stand ░░░░░░░░ to expose Russia s ░░░░░░░░ trail of wartime atrocities ░░░░░░░░ meaningfully ratchet up the ░░░░░░░░ and political costs that ░░░░░░░░ pays for its misdeeds ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine to Georgia to ░░░░░░░░ to the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ beyond These threats and ░░░░░░░░ require more than symbols ░░░░░░░░ resolutions They require concrete ░░░░░░░░ and consequences The plight ░░░░░░░░ the innocent people of ░░░░░░░░ is offering the world ░░░░░░░░ starkest most painful and ░░░░░░░░ personal reminder imaginable that ░░░░░░░░ security and national self ░░░░░░░░ do not uphold themselves ░░░░░░░░ peace is far from ░░░░░░░░ and freedom is far ░░░░░░░░ self fulfilling That countries ░░░░░░░░ benefit from global stability ░░░░░░░░ to help deter countries ░░░░░░░░ want chaos But even ░░░░░░░░ the barbaric horrors of ░░░░░░░░ war they never asked ░░░░░░░░ even in the face ░░░░░░░░ torture executions and inhumane ░░░░░░░░ on infrastructure and systematic ░░░░░░░░ campaigns against civilian cities ░░░░░░░░ all these things all ░░░░░░░░ things against the cold ░░░░░░░░ that Putin has tried ░░░░░░░░ deal Ukraine we have ░░░░░░░░ the warmth of the ░░░░░░░░ people s spirits win ░░░░░░░░ Their love for their ░░░░░░░░ for their families for ░░░░░░░░ freedom the United States ░░░░░░░░ will be honored to ░░░░░░░░ the message that their ░░░░░░░░ president brings to us ░░░░░░░░ behalf of the brave ░░░░░░░░ he represents.”