Rand Paul, Mike Lee Condemn ‘Unconstitutional’ Biden Security Guarantees to Ukraine

Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a resolution on Friday condemning President Joe Biden’s “unconstitutional” security guarantees to Ukraine.

 Biden extended security guarantees to Ukraine for the next ten years, which will help Ukraine boost its defense industrial base and push Ukraine closer to joining NATO.
Politico reported:

But there’s a major catch: The deal is only between the current administrations of the U.S. and Ukraine and won’t be ratified by Congress. Should former President Donald Trump reenter the Oval Office in January, he could rip up the agreement, reneging on Washington’s commitment.

That makes the announcement a high-stakes gamble by President Joe Biden, who has put American credibility on the line in hopes of reassuring Ukraine and European allies, even if he can’t guarantee the deal will last 10 months –– let alone 10 years. But it could also draw a stark contrast with his Republican opponent, marking Biden as a transatlantic champion and Trump an unreliable ally.

“A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s own ability to defend itself now, and to deter future aggression,” Biden said. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky called the signing of the agreement an historic day.

However, Paul and Lee believe that the agreement is unconstitutional, serves as a “backdoor” into NATO membership, and bypasses Congress. Paul said in a written statement:

President Biden’s bilateral security agreement with Ukraine commits America to yet another endless war. This deal risks entrapping future administrations to a prolonged military engagement without a clear exit strategy or sufficient burden-sharing from our European allies. We must prioritize American interests and avoid endless foreign entanglements.

“The Biden administration’s decision to sidestep the Constitution and the Senate’s role in treaty ratification is unacceptable,” Lee explained in a statement. “This agreement not only circumvents the Constitution but also ties the hands of future administrations. Such significant commitments must be subject to thorough scrutiny by the Senate.”

That is why the two conservatives introduced a resolution expressing, if passed, that the Senate believes America should enter a bilateral or multilateral security agreement with Ukraine and that the agreement struck by Biden and Zelensky will have “no force of law.”