Republicans Follow Trump in Ukraine U-Turn – NYT

After more than three years of war, many Republicans in Congress who have consistently opposed providing aid to Ukraine are rushing to change their position, following President Trump's lead. 

The Gaze reports this, referring to the New York Times. 

Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, who criticized the Biden administration in spring of 2024 called for staying out of endless wars, on Monday supported Mr. Trump's announcement of further aid to Ukraine. 

“I explicitly trust Donald Trump,” said Van Orden. “He has my 100-percent, absolute, unequivocal support”.

A previous publication on The Gaze examined the position of Republican congressmen on the issue of aid to Ukraine. For a long time, Republicans have been actively opposing the adoption of such bills, demanding tougher anti-immigration measures and citing the need to save taxpayer money. 

The situation seemed hopeless until April 2024, when a $60.8 billion bill for Ukraine passed with 311 votes in favor (Republicans: 101, Democrats: 210) and 112 votes against (Republicans: 112, Democrats: 0); one Republican congressman abstained. 

In April 2024, Donald Trump unexpectedly supported Speaker Mike Johnson, who brought the bill to a vote despite previous criticism. Trump stated that support for Ukraine was important to the United States, thereby strengthening the position of Johnson, who risked losing his position, like his predecessor Kevin McCarthy. 

The Republicans reconsidered their position on helping Ukraine for several reasons. First, the increased aggressiveness of Russia and its allies, and second, fears of being seen as a source of geopolitical instability forced them to change their approach. 

As The Gaze has reported, the vast majority of Americans, including both Democratic and Republican voters, believe that the Donald Trump administration should continue military support for Ukraine.