Republicans Warn that Proxy War with Russia 'Could Spiral Out of Control'

House and Senate Republicans warned President Joe Biden in a letter on Thursday that America’s increasing support for Ukraine’s conflict with Russia could “spiral out of control.”

The Daily Caller’s Henry Rodgers first reported the letter, which was led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ). In the letter, the Republicans called on Biden to consider the risks of nearly endless military aid to Ukraine and how the war could lead to increased escalation with nuclear-armed Russia.

“Unrestrained U.S. aid for Ukraine must come to an end, and we will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion,” the lawmakers wrote.

“A proxy war with Russia is not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control,” the lawmakers continued.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in April 2022 that the U.S. wants Russia’s military “weakened” to prevent Russia from taking  another action like invading Ukraine.

The Republicans contended that — perhaps ironically — America’s support for Ukraine has brought Russia and China closer together.

“In early February 2022, Putin and Xi reminded the world of their ‘no limits’ partnership in their first face-to-face meeting in two years. Russia would invade Ukraine by the end of that month, with no condemnation from China,” they noted.

On Wednesday the Biden White House approved an additional $325 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, which includes ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, precision aerial bombs, TOW guided missile systems, AT-4 anti-armor weapons systems, and more.

The United States has already committed over $113 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine, and the Senate and House Republicans noted that other NATO nations give far less than America.

The lawmakers also noted the irony in propping up a “foreign government that is historically mired in corruption while the American people suffer from record inflation and a crippling national debt.”

Dan Caldwell, the vice president of the Center for Renewing America, said in a written statement:

The Biden Administration’s largely open-ended support of Ukraine has heightened the risk of a direct conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia and distracted from more urgent national security priorities. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is immoral but is effectively a European security challenge. The burden for supporting Ukraine must be borne primarily by wealthy European welfare states who have more at stake in the conflict and who have for decades been free-riding off an American security umbrella. We at the Center for Renewing America applaud these members of Congress for challenging the Biden Administration’s reckless Ukraine policy and for demanding that American foreign policy put American interests first.

There is a stark contrast between conservatives and populists who support restraint in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and Republican leadership who back seemingly endless support for Ukraine.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, said he would not give Ukraine another dollar:

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has vocally backed Ukraine, wore a Ukraine-colored tie to the State of the Union:

Signers of the letter to Biden include Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rand Paul (R-KY), and Reps. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Mary Miller (R-IL), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Barry Moore (R-AL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Josh Brecheen (R-TX), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Mike Collins (R-GA).

Conservatives argued that diplomacy is needed to bring an end to this conflict.

“Our national interests, and those of the Ukrainian people, are best served by incentivizing the negotiations that are urgently needed to bring this conflict to a resolution,” they concluded in their letter to Biden. “We strongly urge you to advocate for a negotiated peace between the two sides, bringing this awful conflict to a close.”