Byron Donalds Says ‘There’s No Money’ For Ukraine: ‘Not a Good Time’ For Zelensky To Be in D.C.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) had a message for Volodymyr Zelensky: The U.S. is short on cash, so don’t even ask.
The Ukrainian president was in New York this week for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, and is headed to Washington, D.C. later this week.
A reporter with The Recount asked Donalds how he would explain why “so many conservatives are opposed to money for Ukraine?”
“First thing I’ll tell you, there’s no money in the House right now for Ukraine. It’s just not there,” Donalds said, adding:
And to be blunt, we’re running a $2 trillion deficit; any money we’re giving to Ukraine we’re borrowing from our future. That’s the facts. Those are the truths. You can feel how you want to feel about it, I’m here to tell you what’s right and what’s real.
I mean, look, it’s not a good time for him to be here, quite frankly. That’s just the reality, and the third piece is, what’s happened with Ukraine is frankly the fault of the leadership of Joe Biden, let’s be very clear of that. So, to not help to put that on the backs of the American people now, if we had a commander in chief who knew how to lead instead of take naps, then we would be in a much better situation when it comes to Ukraine and global security, for that matter.
At the U.N. on Tuesday, Biden emphasized the importance for world leaders to support Ukraine, while Zelensky warned that Ukraine is just the first step in Russia’s campaign of aggression. According to The New York Times, Zelensky said that “Russia was weaponizing essentials like food and energy ‘not only against our country, but against all of yours, as well.’”
Many conservatives in Congress blame the Biden administration for allowing the war to escalate, even as they refuse to green-light more money for the ravaged nation. According to the State Department, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $43.8 billion since Russia launched its invasion in 2022.
Watch the clip above via The Recount.
