{"id":2158745,"date":"2024-01-25T05:07:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-plan-b-for-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2024-01-25T05:11:18","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:11:18","slug":"a-plan-b-for-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-plan-b-for-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternative strategy for Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">8<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fa-plan-b-for-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2158745&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Column: Seized Russian \u2064assets may provide relief for the beleaguered\u200b democracy<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Volodymyr Zelensky (Alex Wong\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>These are bleak\u200b days for Americans who support Ukraine&#8217;s resistance\u200b to Russian\u200b aggression. Last \u2062year&#8217;s Ukrainian\u2064 counteroffensive did not achieve its aims. While Ukraine has decimated the \u200bRussian \u2062Black Sea fleet and shown that Russian territory is not immune to attack, the nearly two-year-old conflict\u200d has turned into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airandspaceforces.com\/article\/1203keeperfile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a long, hard \u2064slog<\/a>\u2014a static war \u200bof \u2062position rather than a sweeping war of maneuver. Every \u200bday, it seems, Russian missiles\u2064 pound Ukrainian apartment buildings, \u200bschools, and hospitals. And military aid \u2063to Ukraine (and to Israel) languishes in the U.S.\u2063 Congress, entangled in the \u200bweb of immigration politics.<\/p>\n<p>President Biden has asked Congress for an additional $61 billion in assistance. The money will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/france-will-request-multibillion-dollar-defense-budget-boost-in-2023\/\" title=\"France Will Request Multibillion-Dollar Defense Budget Boost in 2023\">replenish munitions<\/a>, equip Ukrainian soldiers, and purchase new \u2062weapons systems. Congress \u2062won&#8217;t authorize the aid unless it is tied to reforms that will reduce migration \u2063on the southern border. A bipartisan team of senators is working on a potential compromise \u200bto break\u2063 the deadlock. Its chances in the House, where the GOP holds <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/house-republicans-one-smallest-majorities-history-speaker-mike-johnson-rcna134842\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a one-seat majority<\/a>, are slim. At best.\u200b This is an election year, \u200dafter all. Republicans will spend the next nine \u200dmonths saying Biden opened the border and unleashed disaster. And Biden will say that a minority of Republicans betrayed Ukraine. And they both will be right.<\/p>\n<p>Yet \u200cthe\u2064 situation is not hopeless. Another bipartisan coalition has emerged\u2063 in Congress: Republicans and Democrats in the House \u200bForeign Affairs Committee \u200band Senate\u2064 Foreign Relations Committee support a different mechanism to aid Ukraine. \u2062Not with weapons\u2014those still depend on overcoming the\u200b immigration stonewall.\u200b Rep. Michael McCaul\u200d (R., Texas), \u2062the House\u200b committee&#8217;s chairman, and Sen. Jim Risch (R., Idaho), the Senate committee&#8217;s ranking \u200cmember, are behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreign.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/06-14-23_repo_act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rebuilding Economic Prosperity \u2064and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act<\/a>. It will permit the State Department to seize Russian state assets in U.S. financial\u200c institutions and transfer the funds to economic relief and reconstruction projects in\u2062 Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Biden&#8217;s $61 billion proposal,\u2062 REPO for Ukrainians has not polarized Congress. Only one senator on Risch&#8217;s committee voted against\u200b it\u2014Rand Paul,\u200d of course. The legislation is significant. It\u2064 deserves to be debated. If enacted, it would be \u2063the first time the United States has seized and repurposed frozen assets from a nation we are not fighting directly. &#8220;This is intended to be a big hammer,&#8221; Risch said on Wednesday. A big hammer is\u2062 what \u200dyou need when Russia \u200claunches the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/so-what-happened-to-russias-much-vaunted-counteroffensive\/\" title=\"So What Happened to Russia\u2019s Much-vaunted Counteroffensive?\">largest ground war<\/a> in Europe \u200dsince 1945, when \u200dthe world is on fire and American global leadership is singed, \u2062and when a few GOP congressmen won&#8217;t let you near the\u2063 rest of the toolbox.<\/p>\n<p>There isn&#8217;t much Russian state \u2063money in American hands.\u2063 If REPO for Ukrainians becomes law, the United States will be able to send Ukraine a few \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bitcoin-recovers-all-losses-since-ftx-implosion\/\" title=\"Bitcoin Recovers All Losses Since FTX Implosion\">billion dollars&#8217; worth<\/a> of aid. But money is fungible. Every dollar America provides is one less dollar Ukraine must\u2063 spend on reconstruction\u2014and one more dollar it can \u200bput to fighting Russia. REPO for Ukrainians will also signal Europe that America hasn&#8217;t\u200b abandoned the\u2062 field. And European banks have much \u200cmore\u2062 Russian money parked in their\u2062 vaults. Money that can be sent to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Would Russia retaliate by seizing\u200d U.S.-related assets?\u2062 It&#8217;s a possibility. Still,\u200b the Russian\u200c economy is close to autarkic. And the \u200bWest has frozen Russia&#8217;s accounts since the war\u200d began. The reprisals have been negligible. Besides, one reason the war continues to rage is \u2064that Biden allowed the\u2063 fear of escalation to constrain his\u200c actions. \u200bBiden&#8217;s dithering \u2062and delay, his reluctance to send Ukraine game-changing long-range munitions, have \u2063prevented Ukraine from losing, but also denied Ukraine the means to win. REPO for Ukrainians is the sort of decisive move that \u200dwill demonstrate Western resolution in the\u200d face of\u2062 the aggressor.<\/p>\n<p>Failure to resupply Ukraine won&#8217;t lead to \u200ba swift and total Russian victory in\u2063 2024. If America takes a year off from sending weapons\u2014which it most certainly should not do\u2014Europe and the United Kingdom, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-ukraine-support-humanitarian-aid-g7-ac26f0224efbdcdfd75fbfdfbf6c9da8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">and<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/south-korea-increases-ukraine-aid-394-mln-2024-2023-08-29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">others<\/a>, will remain in Ukraine&#8217;s corner. And Ukraine won&#8217;t be helpless. The new era of warfare\u200c privileges defense over\u200c offense. Ballistic missiles and low-cost, highly disruptive drone technology help neutralize Russian advantages in manpower and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-set-to-send-anti-aircraft-stinger-missiles-to-ukraine-as-fears-of-russian-air-dominance-grow\/\" title=\"U.S. Set to Send Anti-Aircraft Stinger Missiles to Ukraine as Fears of Russian Air Dominance Grow\">close-air support<\/a>. Most important, \u200bthe courage and will of the Ukrainian people \u2064haven&#8217;t been broken. Far \u2062from it.<\/p>\n<p>The cost in lives will be high. But Ukrainians will continue to fight, with or without\u200c the United States. And with the tacit understanding \u2063that while\u2062 2024 may \u2064not be decisive, 2025 will provide certainty, one way or another. Either a\u200d reelected Democratic administration and a new \u2062Democratic House majority will work with a\u200c Republican Senate to resume funding, or \u2062Donald Trump will &#8220;end the war in a\u2064 day&#8221; by attempting to impose a ceasefire that, if it reflects the\u200d current lines of control, will \u2064favor Russia.<\/p>\n<p>REPO for \u200cUkrainians offers a\u200b way out of the bind.\u200d A way to support our ally amid congressional inaction. A way to give Ukraine the space \u200bto fight while we Americans come \u2064to our senses. A Russian victory would be terrible \u2064not only\u2064 for Ukraine, Europe, Taiwan, \u200dJapan, South Korea, and Israel. \u200bIt would be terrible for our safety. Our \u2064prosperity. \u200cOur freedom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What potential advantages does the bipartisan \u200dsupport behind \u2062the REPO for Ukrainians Act\u200b bring in\u2064 terms \u200bof \u200bUnited States&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-wave-of-conservative-women-elected-to-congress\/\" title=\"The Red Wave of Conservative Women Elected to Congress\">foreign policy<\/a> and\u2064 support for Ukraine?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nitions\u200d, have given the Russian Federation time to consolidate \u200dits position and entrench its control over parts\u2064 of Eastern Ukraine. It&#8217;s \u2064time for the United States to take a bold and decisive stand.<\/p>\n<p>Seizing Russian assets in U.S. financial \u2063institutions\u2064 through the REPO for Ukrainians Act can provide much-needed\u2062 relief for \u2063the\u2062 beleaguered Ukrainian\u2063 democracy. This innovative approach to aid not only circumvents\u200d the\u200c current political \u2062deadlock\u200b over immigration but also harnesses the power of economic leverage against\u200b Russia.<\/p>\n<p>The bipartisan support behind\u200d this legislation is a testament to its potential effectiveness. Unlike President Biden&#8217;s proposed $61 billion\u200b in assistance,\u200c the REPO for Ukrainians Act\u200c has garnered consensus across party lines. With only one senator voting against it, the legislation demonstrates the united front that Congress can \u200bpresent when it comes to supporting Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>If enacted, the REPO for \u200dUkrainians Act would mark a significant milestone in \u2062U.S. foreign policy. It would be the first time that the United States seizes and repurposes frozen assets from a country it is not directly engaged in \u2064combat with. This act \u2062would send a\u200c strong\u2064 message to Russia \u200dthat \u200bits aggression will not go unanswered.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the economic relief and reconstruction projects funded\u200d by seized assets would provide \u200dtangible assistance \u2063to Ukraine. Every dollar that America provides is one less\u200b dollar Ukraine has to spend on rebuilding its infrastructure. It\u200d would also enable Ukraine to redirect funds \u200btowards its defense\u200b capabilities, allowing it to better respond\u200d to Russian\u2063 aggression.<\/p>\n<p>Another key\u2062 advantage of the REPO for Ukrainians Act is its potential to \u2063encourage European \u2063support. By taking the lead in seizing \u2064Russian assets, \u2062the United States can signal\u2062 its commitment to Ukraine and demonstrate that it has not abandoned the region. Moreover, European banks hold a\u2064 substantial amount of Russian money, which could be\u2063 redirected to aid Ukraine if the\u2064 United \u2064States takes the first step.<\/p>\n<p>While there is\u200d a possibility of\u2064 Russian\u200b retaliation, the impact on\u200b their economy is\u2063 likely to be minimal. The Russian economy is already heavily reliant on domestic resources, and Western countries have frozen their accounts since \u2063the beginning of the war. \u2063Seizing Russian assets\u200d in the United \u2062States would be \u2064a strategic move that puts pressure\u2062 on Russia without significant risks.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential for President Biden to act decisively and swiftly. The longer the United States waits, the more entrenched Russia becomes in \u200cEastern Ukraine. Time is \u2062of the \u200cessence, and Ukraine cannot afford further\u2064 delays or hesitation\u200b from its allies.<\/p>\n<p>The REPO \u200cfor Ukrainians\u2064 Act presents a unique opportunity for the United States to support Ukraine effectively. By seizing Russian assets and redirecting them towards economic relief\u2062 and reconstruction \u2063projects, the United States can provide much-needed assistance to \u200dUkraine\u200b while sending a clear message to Russia. It\u200c is\u2063 time for American global leadership\u2062 to\u2062 shine and for democracy to prevail over aggression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Column: Seized Russian assets may aid democracy&#8217;s relief (Alex Wong\/Getty Images). Bleak times for US supporters of Ukraine&#8217;s fight against Russian aggression. Last year&#8217;s counteroffensive fell short, but Ukraine&#8217;s success in crippling the Russian Black Sea fleet proves Russian territory is vulnerable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":2158746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2158745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2158745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2158745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2158745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2158746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2158745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2158745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2158745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}