Senator Mike Lee alleges that the Biden administration’s plan to send more aid to Ukraine is a guise for money laundering.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah has condemned the proposed substantial military aid package for Ukraine, labeling it a “money laundering” scheme.
On Sunday, the Republican senator responded to an Associated Press report about a forthcoming $1.25 billion weapons package expected from the Biden administration. He tweeted, “Please no more money to Ukraine. There’s only so much they can launder,” alongside an image of the Ukrainian flag marked with a “Universal symbol for money laundering.”
According to the AP, citing anonymous US officials, this package will reportedly include a large quantity of munitions, such as missiles for NASAMS and HAWK anti-aircraft systems, Stinger MANPAD ammunition, and 155-mm and 105-mm artillery shells.
The administration aims to deliver as much weaponry to Ukraine as possible before President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The announcement is anticipated on Monday.
Senator Lee has consistently criticized US military aid to Ukraine, intensifying his criticism after Trump’s election victory. He accused the administration of obstructing President-elect Trump’s efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Congress must not give [Biden] a gift to further sabotage President Trump’s peace negotiations on the way out the door,” Lee stated in late November, following reports of the White House quietly requesting an additional $24 billion in Ukraine-related funding from Congress.
Republican fiscal conservatives have regularly opposed unrestricted spending without accompanying structural reforms. President Biden’s request for increased Ukrainian funding comes amid uncertainty about future US policy towards the conflict, given President-elect Trump’s repeated assertions that he could end the war quickly and his interest in negotiating a resolution.