Portrait of Kevin McCarthy
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Kevin McCarthy on Russia

Ukraine supporter, aid critic (strong)

TL;DR

Kevin McCarthy supported aid for Ukraine while simultaneously cautioning against providing a completely open-ended financial commitment.

Key Points

  • He warned in October 2022 that Republicans would not write a “blank check” for Ukraine should they secure the House majority.

  • In May 2023, he explicitly told a Russian reporter that Russia must pull out of Ukraine and condemned the nation's "killing of the children."

  • He previously supported reinstating congressionally imposed restrictions on the purchase of Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines for U.S. space launches, calling it strategically foolish to subsidize Russia's military industrial base in February 2016.

Summary

Kevin McCarthy, particularly during his tenure as Speaker, has maintained a public stance of supporting the defense of Ukraine against Russia's invasion, while also expressing fiscal caution regarding U.S. assistance. While abroad in Israel in May 2023, he emphatically stressed his support for aid, stating he votes for it and demanding Russia "pull out" of Ukraine, directly criticizing the aggressor nation for the "killing of the children." This position reflected a balance, acknowledging the need to support the international response while navigating internal party dynamics, especially from the wing wary of open-ended foreign spending.

This stance evolved from earlier skepticism; in October 2022, he warned that Republicans would not write a "blank check" for Ukraine if they gained the House majority, citing domestic economic concerns like recession fears. The need to manage these fiscal reservations within his party became a recurring theme, notably in the context of his removal as Speaker, which was partially attributed to concessions made on Ukraine funding to appease far-right members opposed to continued aid. His public statements have consistently condemned Russian aggression, such as calling Vladimir Putin "evil" and a "dictator" who is "murdering people."

Key Quotes

“There's two people, I think, Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump...swear to God.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Kevin McCarthy has stated that he supports sending military and financial aid to Ukraine to help it fight the Russian invasion. However, the former Speaker has been careful to frame this support by stating there should be no "blank check" for the commitment. He has stressed the need for oversight on the funding provided.

His position has evolved from expressing initial skepticism about open-ended funding, saying there would be no "blank check" in 2022, to more strongly supporting the aid as Speaker in 2023. Despite the shift toward active support, he continued to couple it with calls for accountability for the spending.

McCarthy has expressed strong disapproval of the Russian leader, describing Vladimir Putin as "evil," a "dictator," and "reckless and evil" following the invasion of Ukraine. He has also previously suggested that Putin needed a deterrent more than sanctions could provide.