“We’ve been talking all week regarding this new package of military aid to Ukraine," Posobiec said. "This has been the hot-button issue in the Pentagon—are they sending these air interceptors, are they not, are they frozen, did they unfreeze them?"
"Meanwhile, we talked about the fact that the US has been expending these missiles in the Middle East, in the Red Sea, in other places. When it comes down to the US from a foreign policy perspective, how should we look at this?”
Senator Paul responded by questioning both the financial and strategic rationale behind the continued flow of weapons abroad:
“The first question I would ask is ‘Who is going to pay for all of this?’ If we are gonna send more missiles for Ukraine, is Ukraine gonna pay us? Of course not. This is free. It’s a gift, but nothing in life is truly free. We’re 2 trillion dollars in the hole. We have to borrow money from China to buy weapons to send them to Ukraine. That doesn’t sound like America First, it doesn’t sound like it makes America stronger. There are many that have pointed out that our debt is the greatest threat to our national security, so going further in debt to give weapons to Ukraine is not good for security. It makes us less safe.”
Posobiec then turned to the strain on America’s own military ability and global commitments:
“We look at the safety and security of the United States, it’s something we’ve heard from members of the defense establishment and analysts. As a former intelligence analyst myself, when you look at the stockpile of these air interceptors that we’re sending… our stockpiles are low.
"Of course, this is going to come at a cost to not only the American taxpayer, but of course, our commitments around the world because of just how extended the U.S. military is. In terms of war but also our protection, our U.S. Navy coverage in the Pacific.”
Senator Paul warned that America’s role as the world’s arms provider is unsustainable and contributes to domestic economic instability:
“One of the intriguing things is that years ago, my father said that we shouldn’t be the policemen of the world. Now you hear people repeat that. We shouldn’t be the policemen of the world, except for that we send weapons to Ukraine, and free weapons to Israel and they don’t have to pay either for weapons.
"So essentially, we’re the sugar daddy of the world," Paul said.
"Donald Trump understood this, he got this with people freeloading in NATO, and insisted that people pay more. The bottom line is that people are still taking advantage of us and we’re going further and further into debt. Our economy is further and further threatened by this. It’s a mistake. I fear the consequences of running a 2 trillion dollar deficit each year. Our interest payments are over a trillion, and there are consequences. One of them being inflation, prices rising in the grocery store. As the Fed buys our debt, the value of our currency diminishes over time.”
Trump announced Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with more defensive weaponry, days after reports emerged of a temporary halt in some US military support amid fears of depleted domestic stockpiles.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” Trump said during remarks at the White House ahead of a private dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They have to be able to defend themselves."
The statement came in the wake of a surge in Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, which have intensified recently and resulted in numerous civilian casualties.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russian attacks on Monday alone killed 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others—including seven children—after an overnight barrage involving over 100 drones.
