Republican hesitance on Ukraine funding makes European allies think twice: report

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Republicans' proclaimed skepticism of providing further multi-billion dollar aid packages to Ukraine reportedly has European allies concerned that assistance for Ukraine may start to dry up.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed to reporters last week that his party won't be interested in giving Ukraine a "blank check" if they take control of Congress in November. President Biden's administration has delivered more than $50 billion in security and humanitarian aid to the country since Russia invaded in February.

Now, some leaders in Europe are sounding the alarm that a loss of U.S. support might start a wave of aid cuts for Ukraine. 

"You’d be playing into Putin’s hands," U.K. Parliament member Tobias Ellwood told the Washington Post. "If America pulls back, Putin could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat."

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European Union leaders are gathering Friday to take stock of their support for Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is trying to spark a refugee exodus by destroying his war-ravaged country's energy infrastructure. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks about Republicans' "Commitment to America" agenda at DMI Companies in Monongahela, Pa., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.  (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

America's funding for Ukraine has been largely bipartisan under Biden, and many Republicans say there is no reason that funding won't continue in some form.

"No one in Republican leadership has called for an end to aid for Ukraine," Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said Monday. "People on the Republican side are saying, ‘Why do we have to pass a $40 billion package to send $8 billion to Ukraine?’"

McCarthy has couched his criticism of the aid packages on America's economic situation as the economy threatens to fall into a recession.

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"I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine," McCarthy told Punchbowl News last week. "They just won’t do it. … It’s not a free blank check."

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office on Saturday, June 18, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends meeting with military officials as he visits the war-hit Mykolaiv region. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

McCarthy's more conservative approach is a far cry from the Biden administration's mantra of supporting Ukraine "for as long as it takes."

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American cash and weapons have flowed into Ukraine for months, allowing the country to push back the Russian invaders. Putin's forces have lost significant ground since September, leading some to fear he may escalate the conflict further.