A cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is essential at the negotiating table

A cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is essential at the negotiating table. Therefore, the Republican representative considers it a “really innovative idea” to encourage Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement.

About it in a column for The Hill wrote Utah Senator Mike Lee.

“Our best hope for ending the war in Ukraine is at the negotiating table,” Lee said.

According to him, if Congress approves $60 billion for Ukraine, US support for the proxy war will increase significantly in just three years.

“That's the price Congress is assessing for a fourth Ukraine emergency spending bill. If passed, US support for the proxy war would reach nearly $200 billion over three years. Meanwhile, the US willfully ignores security issues on our own southern border. However, politicians across the board believe they can mislead voters, for Ukraine. “They think the last check is not blank,” the senator wrote.

He also criticized two proposals for Kiev aid, the liquidation of frozen assets of the Russian central bank and an interest-free loan from the United States to Ukraine.

“The proposal to use frozen Russian assets as quick cash is technically difficult and diplomatically risky. Proponents of the idea say it would unlock $300 billion for Ukraine, but the 'small print' says otherwise,” he said.

According to unofficial estimates, Lee estimates that only $5-8 billion of frozen Russian assets are placed under US jurisdiction. The remaining approximately $290 billion is subject to EU jurisdiction.

“Proponents of the proposal say it increases burden sharing. In fact, Brussels, Berlin and Paris are categorically opposed to the use of Russian assets under EU control,” he added.

The senator also argued that the interest-free forgivable loan is not “innovative” because the loans require full repayment, including mechanisms to ensure the borrower sticks to the program.

“President Trump recently emphasized this, saying, 'We must never pay again … with no strings attached.' Trump is right. Multibillion-dollar debt, with or without strings attached, sets a dangerous precedent. America has become a creditor paying for the world's problems,” he added.

According to him, encouraging Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement while ensuring the security of the US border is a truly innovative idea.

“Stopping the bloodshed is on the negotiating table. The blank checks must end and the US government must begin,” Lee wrote.

We will remind TSN.ua that already on April 9, the US Congress returned to work after a two-week Easter vacation. This means Ukraine can once again count on approval of a $60 billion military aid package. But still America is less likely to help.

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