And for more on the situation in Ukraine and Ukrainian President
Vladimir Zelensky is plea to Congress today for more aid. I spoke
with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
A short while ago.
Leader McConnell. Thank you very much for joining us today between
what you heard from President Zelinski this morning and the facts
on the ground that you're learning. Do you think there will be a
significant increase in American support for Ukraine?
I sure hope so. The president really needs to step up his game. He
has frequently done the right thing, but never soon enough.
Ah!
We now know where we are. The Russians are in the country.
We need to do everything we can
To give them the tools.
To fight with. Many of these tools are in the hands of
Eastern European NATO allies who are anxious to help
And it appears, for example, in the case of the Soviet era, MiGs
and Poland at the administration's actually discouraging
Uh, some of our eastern
NATO allies from doing everything they want to do.
We are encouraged them to send everything to the Ukrainians that
would be helpful to them.
And then we have provided long guarantees and the package that passed
last week.
To give
Those countries.
New American equipment to upgrade the systems that they send into
Ukraine so that their own defense
Is not diminished by their helping their Ukrainian neighbor. So the
polls were talking about sending the MiGs from a U. S NATO base in
Germany. You're saying
You're comfortable with the US doing that because the administration
said that that could lead to a more dangerous outgrowth of this.
What's already a big conflict. Yes, I just simply disagree.
Putin is not trying to start a war with NATO. He's got his hands
full in Ukraine.
And but I don't like is Putin determining the conditions under which
we assist?
Ukraine.
Look
Ukrainians need help. I need it now.
Ah, particularly do they need
the kind of weapons systems that go after not only helicopters but
higher flying.
Ah planes.
Those systems are nearby.
In eastern NATO countries. They want to help them and we ought to
be facilitating it rather than discouraging it now. The one place
I agree with the administration on
As we can't have a US and forced no fly zone.
In Ukraine. That would indeed
They a direct
Conflict potentially between us and the Russians. But short of that.
We need to do everything else we can, and I fear
That we're not doing that. And even when we do, take the steps that
are needed. Not soon enough. Well, we used you're you're in agreement
with President Biden on the no fly zone, But you may have heard President
Zelinsky today is saying
That what's going on in his country is could already be the start
of World War Three. In other words, now is the moment to close the
skies over his country. There are several ways to do that.
I just mentioned to you their weapons systems available.
In eastern NATO countries that can effectively deal with Soviet air
power.
They're from the ground.
They're not.
Air airplane in force, no fly zone.
And we get those weapons in the Ukrainians. I think they can do the
job themselves. In other words, you're saying that you have information
that the US is actively discouraging that But I want I want to ask
you Mr Leader is
President Biden has received credit from many for holding the alliance
together. And in an unusual way, In fact, with the war in Ukraine,
are you advocating that the US get out front?
Of the alliance. Well, I think Vladimir Putin has done a lot to unify
NATO. It's been remarkable to see the fans and the Swedes.
Potentially deciding to become NATO members will see, but public
opinion has shifted dramatically there.
Got a total change in Germany.
With direct shipment of weapons with their
Increasing their defense budget.
Um Vladimir Putin has done a lot to unify NATO.
And the president has been the beneficiary of that commend him for
the role that he played in it. But I think fair, the Russians is
the primary reason we have the most unified NATO.
With ever had
And Putin certainly didn't anticipate that. Have you spoken privately
with President Biden about this in recent days? Not no. Not lately.
And what about have you had conversations with President Zelinski?
Not directly. I was among those this morning listening to his inspired
speech talked to the Ukrainian ambassador.
They're having plenty of outrage to us. The Ukrainians. I think they're
doing a spectacular job of making sure we fully understand.
The carnage that's going on there.
The video that President Zelensky show today.
It was very, very effective. I think you've got broad bipartisan
support in Congress.
To push the administration to do much more.
Quickly. Senator McConnell. As you know, the The Vita administration
is
spending a lot of money to send military weaponry to Ukraine. They
announced another 800 million.
Worth today. But when it comes to financial sanctions, one argument
that's been made is that for them to be truly effective, there needs
to be more financial transparency here in the United States, For
example, real estate transactions companies investors should be registered
in the name of the person who's actually making that
Investment. Do you think that's the kind of reform that's needed
here to back up sanctions on Russia? Well on the sanctions front,
I hope we're doing everything we can to
Shut down the accounts of the oligarchs and others who are involved
with the Putin administration.
And squeezing Russia as tightly as we can in every single way.
I'm not sure exactly what ought to be done in the area that you brought
up.
But the whole part of sanctions squeeze the Russians the enablers
of President Putin, the oligarchs who surround him.
And
Really? I'd like to see us go even further and squeeze the whole
country because if we took
If we sanctioned their energy exports
very be out of business. And as you know, the administration has
cut off oil
supplies, oil and gas supplies from Russia. We have, but it's It's
a very small amount compared to dependency that Europe has
And if Putin keeps on the Europeans may decide
On their own
to take even further steps. To other questions. Senator McConnell
the first one having to do with your earlier saying that one of the
reasons Vladimir Putin was emboldened to go into Ukraine was because
of the way the body administration handled the leaving of Afghanistan.
However, Russian scholars respected scholars like Stephen Kotkin
Are saying no, that it is. It is Russia's own autocratic, militaristic
history. It's Vladimir Putin himself.
That are the complete and full reason that Russia has gone into Ukraine.
What about that? I simply disagree. I think Putin has wanted Ukraine
a long time.
He was waiting for an opportunity where he thought America was in
retreat, pulling back from the rest of the world.
There was a vivid picture of the evacuation.
Afghanistan for everybody in the world to see that America was coming
home and pulling in our horns and not
Inclined
to
Take the forward position we have in the past.
It was like a green light of Vladimir Putin.
You wanted to do this a long time. This is the perfect time to try
to take back Ukraine. And finally, Mr Leader, a question about the
Supreme Court nominee, Judge Tangie Brown Jackson, as you know, has
been nominated by President Biden. The confirmation hearings begin
in the
Senate Judiciary Committee next week. Her nomination has been enthusiastically
endorsed by some prominent conservative judges
Thomas Griffith Michael Luttig, who called her the quote, most credentialed
and experienced nominee.
In history.
What would be a compelling reason to deny her a seat on the court.
Well, as you know, the Senate is a is a co partner with the president
and personnel business. He nominates and we decided to confirm
One of the concerns that
I have been many of us have is the integrity of the court itself.
When I met with Judge Jackson tried to
Suggest to her and the nicest possible way.
That she might want to mirror the comments of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
and Stephen Briar and opposition to court packing.
And the term limits for the Supreme Court. Both Justice Ginsburg
and Justice Bryer have been outstanding in beating back the voices
of the left.
Ah, attacking the Supreme Court by suggesting that it be packed.
Or term limited.
She decided not to take a position on that. I wish he had. I don't
think that signals anything at all about how she might rule in a
particular case.
But simply the integrity of the court.
Itself. That was just the pointing. I think she is a very intelligent
Clearly qualified.
Nominee. Either issue always is
Are you a judicial activists? Or do you believe in the quaint notion
that Justice Scalia always reminded us of
But the job the judge to follow the law, so you think not taking
a position is enough to disqualify her. I haven't made a decision
having an ounce. I'm going to vote. The hearings are next week.
They will be thoroughly respectable.
Quite different from the way the Democrats created Clarence Thomas
quite different from the way the Democrats treated Brett Kavanaugh,
the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Thank you very much
for joining us.
I do.