Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) warned on Friday that U.S. troops could be involved in direct combat with Russia if Congress fails to send additional support to Ukraine.
Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNBC while attending the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. must continue funding Ukraine and its European allies to fend off further Russian aggression. He also called on the House to pass the $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes support for Ukraine, that the Senate passed earlier this week.
“In the next front against Russia, it will be Americans on the front lines,” Coons said, according to CNBC. “We are best off investing in the Ukrainians who are fighting bravely for their own freedom than allowing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin the opportunity to spread further chaos and violence across Europe.”
The Democratic senator added that he fears without the additional funding for Ukraine, Putin will target a NATO country, forcing the U.S. to put troops on the ground in Europe. The senator is “optimistic” that the Republican-led House will approve the bill after “some back and forth.”
“If we don’t stop Putin in Ukraine, he will next be attacking NATO allies of the United States,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has been vocal about his opposition to the massive foreign aid package, citing the bill’s lack of “real” border security provisions. Last week, Republicans rejected the foreign aid package’s border security provisions, arguing that they did little to address and prevent the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. Johnson said the Senate “did the right thing” in rejecting the “insufficient” border provisions, but added that senators “should have gone back to the drawing board” to change the bill and address the “ongoing catastrophe.”
The $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the Senate includes funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other foreign priorities. According to some Republican representatives, Johnson told his colleagues that he is not rushing to bring up the bill in the House as some lawmakers are reportedly writing up their own proposals.
“The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill,” the speaker said.
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Coons’ warning about American troops being sent to fight Russian forces echoes similar comments made by President Joe Biden about a previous aid package for Ukraine. Pushing Congress to approve $106 billion in emergency spending that included aid to Ukraine in December, Biden said, “If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there. … Then we’ll have something that we don’t seek and that we don’t have today: American troops fighting Russian troops.”