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A number of lawmakers are concerned about the negative consequences for Ukraine if the pause in aid drags on.
Republican lawmakers have begun calling on US President Donald Trump to repeal suspension decision military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, warning that a prolonged blocking of American support would have a serious negative effect, reports The Hill.
According to lawmakers, Trump has the right to temporarily halt arms shipments to Ukraine to assess the state of the war, pressure NATO allies to increase their contributions, and create a window for peace deal negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But at the same time, Republicans warn that stopping the flow of weapons for too long could have a devastating impact on Ukraine's combat capability, which would undermine its leverage in negotiations with Russia.
Republican lawmakers also say that intelligence sharing should be restored immediately, doubting that the United States could gain any benefit from depriving Ukraine of critical intelligence information.
“This is a concern for the Ukrainian people. I’m more concerned about what the people on the battlefield are feeling,” said Republican Senator Tom Tillis, a supporter of Ukraine, warning that a pause in U.S. aid to Ukraine could be beneficial to Putin.
“I know it's hard for people in Ukraine, I was there two weeks ago,” he added.
The senator said Ukraine has enough weapons and ammunition to hold the front lines, but he expressed hope that the pause in military aid would not be long. Tillis said he was “not opposed” to a pause if it was a short-term “negotiating tactic.”
“I hope and pray that it will be short-lived. I think it will be,” he noted.
The chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican Susan Collins, said she opposes ending military aid.
“I don’t think we should stop our efforts. It’s Ukrainians who are shedding blood,” she said, calling the current moment “critical for Ukraine.”
On Thursday, March 6, some Republican senators also expressed shock over Trump's announcement that he would decide to revoke the temporary legal status of approximately 240 Ukrainians living in the United States.
One Republican senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the threat of deportation of thousands of Ukrainian refugees overly “punitive.”
The aid restrictions to Ukraine came after Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance got into a public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting at the White House last week. Zelensky had come to the United States to sign a mineral rights deal but left Washington early after a public row. Trump later said in a statement to Congress that he had received a message from Zelensky that Ukraine was ready to sign the mineral rights deal.
Republican Senator Todd Young expressed hope that Trump and Zelensky can “come together and bridge the gap” in the US-Ukrainian mineral extraction agreement.
Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune emphasized that the pause in military aid to Ukraine will be temporary.
“This is a pause, which is important, not a stop. I think it’s part of the negotiations. And I hope that eventually we will put people at the negotiating table and we can agree on an agreement that will bring a peaceful resolution to this three-year conflict and, hopefully, will respect the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who worked hard “behind the scenes” to broker the mineral deal, said he was concerned about the pause in intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
"Hopefully, this will all clear up soon enough," he noted.
Republican Senator John Cornyn, a member of the Intelligence Committee, said that the intelligence the US provided to Kyiv was very important for Ukraine to continue the fight.
“I hope the pause will be lifted at some point,” he added, noting that Trump is trying to use “leverage” on Zelensky to persuade him to sign the agreement.
Republican Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said he did not support the decision to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“I don’t agree with this,” he said, also expressing hope that the suspension of military aid to Ukraine would only be temporary.
“I hope, given what’s happening now, this will be a short-term issue and we will make a long-term agreement – providing military resources as part of a long-term agreement,” he said.
Republican Senator Deb Fisher said the pause in intelligence sharing “is a decision that was made by the commander in chief.”
“I hope that if there is intelligence that could be very valuable to the Ukrainians, it will be shared,” she added.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Roger Wicker, said he was “studying” the decision to suspend intelligence sharing.
