McCarthy Rebuffs Russian Reporter Asking About Ukraine Aid

Daniel ChaitinMay 2, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Chides Russian Reporter Over Ukraine

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) didn’t hold back when a Russian reporter asked him if the United States would reconsider sending weapons to Ukraine more than a year after Russia invaded its neighbor. During a press conference in Jerusalem, McCarthy rebuffed the journalist’s assertion that he does not support the “uncontrolled” supply of assistance to Ukraine.

When a Russian reporter asks him if the U.S. will send more weapons and aid to Ukraine, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — despite previously saying there should be no “blank check” — says he supports helping Ukraine:

“I support aid for Ukraine … We will continue to support.” pic.twitter.com/d5Fmr1RNCM

— The Recount (@therecount) May 1, 2023

“I support aid for Ukraine. I do not support what your country has done to Ukraine,” McCarthy said. “I do not support your killing of the children either. And I think for one standpoint, you should pull out, and I don’t think it’s right. And we will continue to support because the rest of the world sees it just as it is.”

Republicans Crank Up Pressure to Halt Aid to Ukraine

More than 14 months after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States has pumped tens of billions of dollars to prop up Kyiv’s fight against Russian invaders. Some Republican members of the House have cranked up the pressure to halt the flow of aid to Ukraine. In February, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) led a group of 11 lawmakers in introducing a “Ukraine Fatigue” resolution, which a press release said “would express through the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine, and urges all combatants to reach a peace agreement.”

McCarthy rejected the proposal. “No, I support Ukraine,” he told CNN when asked about the resolution. “I don’t support a blank check, though. We spent $100 billion here, we want to win.”