Ex-Trump intel chief makes case for more Ukraine aid: ‘Not the time for political games’

Dan Coats, former director of national intelligence for the Trump administration, made the case for the U.S. to approve more aid to Ukraine, saying this is “not the time for political games.”

Lawmakers opposed to more Ukraine aid to focus more on the U.S.’s needs are making a “false choice,” Coats wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times, published Thursday.

“The choices facing America are always based on the same foundation: what best serves our nation,” Coats wrote. “The choice is not America first or something else first. America is always first. The real question, in this complicated and uncertain world, is what course of action will most likely serve our core national interests — security and economic prosperity.” 

“Those interests are inextricably linked to the strength of our global alliances and the international system of law and cooperation in which American democracy survives and prospers,” he continued. “And the strength of those networks, in turn, depends on our role as a trusted ally and friend, on our credibility and — frankly — on our virtue.” 

Ukraine’s attempt to defend itself against the ongoing Russian invasion is the cheapest option to diminish the Kremlin’s military and ensure safety for the U.S. and its allies, according to Coats.

“In blunt dollar terms, helping Ukraine in that defense is, by far, the least expensive way to weaken Russia’s military and discourage Russian aggression, thereby protecting ourselves and our allies,” Coats wrote. 

The essay advocating for more support to Ukraine comes as U.S. aid for the country has been stalled in Congress for more than a year.

The upper chamber passed a $95 billion foreign aid package in February which would include $60 billion in funds for Ukraine. Some hard-line Republicans in the House have opposed the idea, and there has not been significant progress on the the issue since lawmakers returned from recess this week, despite Senate GOP leadership calling on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to put the legislation to a vote on the House floor.

If Russia’s President Vladimir Putin “succeeds,” anxiety in Europe will spike, along with defense spending in the region, according to Coats. 

“Anticipating the next possible phase of Mr. Putin’s campaign to reimpose the Russian hegemony of the Cold War era will force NATO to greatly increase its defense budget, plunging the world into an arms race like those leading up to the world wars,” he wrote. “Those who do not see the link between European security and our own are not living in the real world.” 

The impact of failing to aid Ukraine would not just become evident to NATO, but to U.S. and its allies, as well, Coats argued.

“China is watching closely to see how firmly America supports, or doesn’t support, its friends these days,” Coats wrote in the essay. “Our allies are watching, too, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. All three are nervous about China’s regional ambitions — and dependent on America as a security partner.” 

“This isn’t about the money,” he said. “It is about American steadfastness, something that is now in question because of another partisan contest. Ukraine and the tens of millions of people living there have become pawns for political maneuvering in Washington.”