The last-ditch attempt by the Biden administration to pour more aid into Ukraine is money laundering, Sen. Mike Lee has suggested
Utah Senator Mike Lee has criticized the proposed allocation of a new lavish weaponry package for Kiev, calling it ‘money laundering.’
The Republican senator took to X on Sunday, responding to an AP post reporting on a looming $1.25 billion weaponry package, expected to be announced by the outgoing Biden administration shortly.
“Please no more money to Ukraine. There’s only so much they can launder,” Lee wrote on his account with the ‘BasedMikeLee’ handle, accompanying the post with a picture of the Ukrainian flag bearing the “Universal symbol for money laundering” inscription.
The upcoming package is expected to include a “significant amount” of various munitions, including missiles for NASAMS and HAWK anti-aircraft systems, munitions for Stinger MANPADs, as well as artillery shells in 155- and 105-mm caliber, AP reported, citing unnamed US officials.
The package comes as a part of an effort by the outgoing administration to pour as much weaponry into Ukraine as possible before President-elect Donald Trump takes over on January 20. The announcement is reportedly expected to be made on Monday.
Senator Lee has been highly critical of Washington’s enduring military aid for Ukraine, ramping up his rhetoric after the November election was won by Trump. Among other things, the senator accused the outgoing administration of trying to derail the expected effort by the next president to bring the Russia-Ukraine conflict to its end.
“Congress must not give [Biden] a gift to further sabotage President Trump’s peace negotiations on the way out the door,” Lee said in late November, in the wake of media reports of the White House quietly asking Congress to allocate an additional $24 billion in Ukraine-related spending.
Republican fiscal hawks have consistently criticized requests for unrestricted spending without necessary structural reforms. President Biden’s reported appeal for additional funding for Ukraine arrived amidst uncertainty regarding the future of US policy toward the conflict as President-elect Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the war within 24 hours and has expressed a strong interest in negotiating a resolution to the hostilities.
