Sen. Joe Manchin: Not Funding Ukraine May Be ‘Worst Atrocity in History’

(Dreamstime)

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., called for Congress to support Ukraine in its war against Russia or “face the worst atrocity in history.”

Legislation that would send money to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and Taiwan has stalled as conservative lawmakers seek tougher border security policies before approving foreign aid.

“We can’t let Ukraine go through this, if it comes through the spring, and we haven’t helped Ukraine, God help us,” Manchin told Niala Boodhoo at Axios’ What’s Next Summit in Washington, D.C., urging Congress to help Ukraine.

That’ll be the worst atrocity in history that your children or grandchildren will be reading about that we’ve done.

“This is ridiculous for us not supporting people that really are wanting what we have in life and willing to die for it.”

The Ukrainian military has been struggling with dwindling resources and Russian troops advancing further, The Hill reported.

Manchin, who will retire from the Senate and not run for reelection this fall, said failure of the House to vote on a Senate-approved border security bill has “discouraged me more than anything.”

“In September, my Republican friends said, ‘Listen, we’re not going to talk about any aid for Ukraine,” Manchin said, “or Taiwan or Israel until we secure our border. And I agree with my Republican friends. Let’s secure our border and then we can deal with the aid that needs to be.”

He then explained Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., normally a tough negotiator, helped write a “good” bipartisan Senate deal.

Manchin, though, said GOP colleagues and House Republicans allowed former President Donald Trump to “scare them away from doing what’s right.”

“That’s why I’m more committed to term limits now than ever before,” he said. “Those of them in their second term, the one good term they had left, and let’s say it’s coming to an end, they would have been able to do the right thing more so than thinking, ‘What’s the future?’”