JD Vance calls President Johnson’s remarks on Ukraine ‘concerning’

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) criticizes newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for comments suggesting Johnson might support additional U.S. support for Ukraine.

“To his great credit, the new president has been a stalwart on the Ukraine issue – consistently voting against a never-ending conflict with no plan from the Biden administration,” Vance said on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s worrying to see him change his mind so quickly after being elevated to this role.”

Vance’s comments come after Johnson, in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, did not go so far as to rule out additional support for Ukraine.

Johnson, who has voted against aid packages for Ukraine in the past, said the United States should not allow Russia to win the war, but that Republicans must ensure that any U.S. support be taken into account.

“(We) cannot allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine because I don’t believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to take action on Taiwan. We have these concerns,” Johnson said.

“We’re not going to abandon them, but we have a responsibility, a stewardship responsibility, to the precious treasure of the American people and we have to make sure that the White House gives the people some accountability for the money spent,” he added. he added.

Vance has been a vocal critic of providing funds to Ukraine and has battled Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on the issue. McConnell supports a legislative package that would provide aid to both Israel and Ukraine, while Vance and other critics of U.S. spending in Ukraine say those issues should be separate.

Johnson – in the same interview with Hannity – said expenses should be split.

Last month, Vance signed a Republican Party letter asking the Biden administration to cut off Ukraine from future U.S. funds, citing a lack of transparency about where the money goes and the results on the front lines.

“The American people deserve to know what their money is being used for. How is the counter-offensive going? Are the Ukrainians closer to victory than six months ago? What is our strategy and what is the president’s exit plan? What does the administration define as a victory in Ukraine? read the letter, with over two dozen signatures from senators and congressmen.

“Yesterday, during a confidential briefing on Ukraine, it became clear that America was being asked to finance an indefinite conflict with unlimited resources. Enough is enough. To these and future demands, my colleagues and I say: NO,” Vance written thesharing the letter.

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