Senate Democrat Warns Eastern Europe Could Fall If US Abandons Ukraine

Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy said Tuesday there’s been no sign of repairing fractured talks over GOP border security demands in exchange for Ukraine aid requested by the White House.

"Every single day that goes by without any reasonable offer from Republicans is a day that Vladimir Putin gets closer to marching through Ukraine into Europe," said Murphy, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and lead Democratic negotiator on the flagging foreign aid package. 

He mapped out a domino effect of the Russian leader expanding his invasion beyond Ukraine, then moving into Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and on and on. 

“All he has to do is invade Poland, be there for a year and a half and the United States will give it away,” Murphy said of the message the U.S. would be sending NATO allies if Congress fails to prop up the Ukrainian military now. 

“We have to give Ukraine money right now — this week or next week,” Murphy added, stressing that “it can’t” drag into next year because the Biden administration has already stated that there’s no more funding available.  

“The administration has been clear. Ukraine runs out of money at the end of 2023,” Murphy said. 

His dour assessment did little to dislodge the political logjam. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham said negotiators have been “stuck” since last week amid Democrats’ refusal to restrict parole for immigrants. 

“Parole is being abused,” the South Carolina Republican said, adding that Democrats “want to use this statutory tool as a way to get as many people in the country as they can.”

While he’s been supportive of assisting Ukraine in the past, Graham said that if Kyiv falls, it's Biden's fault for not coming around on fixing the southern border. 

“Forget having a package to help foreign countries unless we fix our own border,” Graham said.

Sen. Ted Cruz tipped his hat to conservative hardliners in the House pushing their partisan border security bill, HR 2 — or nothing — strategy.

"I applaud House Republicans for using every lever to force real action," the Texas Republican told The Messenger of making tighter border security a prerequisite for any further legislative action this session.

Cruz predicted that Senate Republicans would stand together to block Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's procedural test vote on Wednesday. Should that fail, Cruz said he wasn't sure what might break the impasse.

"Depends whether the Democrats are willing to be reasonable or not," Cruz said.

Murphy insisted that it’s Republicans who’ve abandoned logic at this point. 

"I haven't received any proposals, no new ideas," he said, adding that what Republicans currently have on the table "don't have any Democratic votes."

"A cynic would say the goal here is to take down Ukraine funding," Murphy said of the stalled out talks.

He noted that  he's willing to get back to the negotiating table — should Republicans decide to get serious. 

"Until they are actually willing to compromise, I don't want to create the impression that we are in good faith negotiations," he said.