-
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has strongly criticized a surprise visit to the United States by the president of Ukraine.
-
Far-right Republicans have opposed the billions in aid sent by the United States to help Ukraine fight Russia.
-
“Put America First!” the Georgia Republican tweeted, as he called Ukraine the 51st state.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to the United States amid far-right Republican opposition to US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Zelenskyy early Wednesday announced headed to Washington, D.C., his first trip abroad since Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine in February. He will meet with President Joe Biden and call for more support.
The trip was secretly arranged to defeat compromising security arrangements, and reports of the planned visit emerged on Tuesday.
In a tweet later that day, Greene, a Georgia Republican and prominent supporter of Donald Trump, criticized the plans.
“Of course the shadow president has to come to Congress and explain why he needs billions of US taxpayer dollars for the 51st state, Ukraine. This is absurd. Put America First!!!” Greene said.
Zelenskyy’s visit comes at a key moment in the US political cycle, as well as the war in Ukraine.
Republicans are poised to take control of the House of Representatives after winning a slim majority in the midterm elections. While in Ukraine, some reports claim that Russia may be planning to launch a massive winter offensive, after suffering a series of recent setbacks.
The $19 billion in aid the US has provided Ukraine so far has been vital in its fight against Russia, and Biden is expected to announce additional US support during Zelenskyy’s visit.
The far-right of the Republican Party has long stirred opposition to US support for Ukraine, rallying around an isolationist “America First” foreign policy, with some expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Greene could emerge with greater power after the midterms, as a leading member of the party’s MAGA wing. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who is campaigning to be elected House speaker, has echoed his criticism of the US Ukraine aid program, saying in October that, under the control of the Republican Party, the House he would not offer a “blank check” in his support for Ukraine.
However, analysts believe that broad bipartisan support for Ukraine remains strong, and attempts to seriously cut or limit aid to Ukraine are unlikely to succeed.
In a speech to Congress on Wednesday, Zelenskyy is expected to call on the United States not to give up its support for Ukraine, which it will present as part of an existential battle against authoritarianism.
Read the original article at Business Insider