Some leading conservative members of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement in the United States have expressed their opposition in recent hours to US President Donald Trump's plans to send weapons to Ukraine through NATO. Critics of the decision say it is a breach of Trump's promise to end American involvement in wars.
Specifically, on Monday, the American said that weapons would be sent to Ukraine through the North Atlantic Alliance, while also threatening Russia with 100% tariffs if an agreement to end the war is not reached within 50 days. The White House emphasized that Europe is the one who will pay for the American-made weapons.
However, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, a key Trump ally, and Steve Bannon are among those who have criticized the decision. Bannon said Ukraine is a European warwhile Green claimed the move contradicts what the US president promised his voters during his election campaign.
"It's not just Ukraine, it's all wars in general and foreign aid. This is what we campaigned on. This is what I promised in my district. This is what everyone voted for. And I think we need to stay the course," Green said.
Trump tried to make clear on Monday that the American weapons would be paid for and not given as direct aid to Kiev."We won't buy them, but we'll build them and they'll pay for them," he noted.
Despite these statements, Green expressed reservations about whether American taxpayers will ultimately bear the cost of these arms shipments, talking about backdoor deals through NATO. Without a doubt, our tax dollars are being used, the congresswoman told the New York Times, arguing that indirect costs such as American training missions and contributions to NATO are considered American participation.
Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, said on the War Room podcast that Ukraine is becoming very dangerous. It's a European war. Let Europe deal with it. They have the resources. They have the manpower, he added.
We are prepared to arm people over whom we have literally no control, Bannon said of Ukraine. This is an old-fashioned war, in the bloodstained regions of Europe, and we are being dragged into it.
In a statement cited by Politico, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said Trump's MAGA base is not panicking like the media. They trust Trump and know that this president restores peace through strength, she noted.
With information from BBC
