DeSantis: No 'Blank Check' for Ukraine if he is elected president

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Sep 2023 08:28

Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis stated that if he is elected, Ukraine will not receive an endless amount of financial aid.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivering a speech during a campaign rally on March 31, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

In a second round of Republican debates, Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis stated that, if elected as the next US president, Ukraine would not receive a "blank check", pledging to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"It’s in our interest to end this war [in Ukraine]. That’s what I will do as president. We are not going to have a blank check. We will not have US troops [in Ukraine]. We're gonna make the Europeans do what they need to do," DeSantis said on Wednesday night.

Elsewhere in his remarks, DeSantis considered safeguarding the United States from unregulated immigration at the southern border as a higher priority than providing assistance to Ukraine.

"Our own country is being invaded. We don't even have control of our own territory. We have got to defend the American people before we even worry about all these other things," DeSantis added.

DeStanis' remarks came shortly after the United States Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of advancing a crucial bill aimed at temporarily funding the federal government and delivering substantial financial assistance to Ukraine.

With the impending threat of a government shutdown looming at the end of the month, the senators voted 77-19 in favor of invoking cloture on a motion to proceed to the legislation.

This vital legislative piece, known as the "Continuing Appropriations Act," is designed to fund the federal government through November 17. The bill's primary objective is to provide lawmakers with an extended window to pass comprehensive spending bills while also including an allocation of over $6 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine.

The inclusion of Ukraine aid within the broader government funding package has sparked significant debate, particularly among some Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

Republicans vehemently oppose the integration of Ukraine assistance into a government funding measure, as well as endorsing a short-term funding bill. Consequently, this dissent sets the stage for a potential showdown between the two chambers of Congress in the coming days.

A government shutdown, should it materialize, would lead to suspending "nonessential" government operations until Congress successfully passes a funding resolution.

This would have far-reaching consequences, affecting millions of federal workers, including over 1.3 million active-duty troops, as highlighted by the White House. Notably, the most recent government shutdown, which transpired from late 2018 to early 2019, extended for a record-setting 34-36 days.