Sen. John Thune on the 2024 race, GOP leadership and funding for Ukraine

Sen. John Thune:

I think that the challenge, of course, right now, with the situation deteriorating there, is to try and feel a sense of urgency about this.

I’m hoping the House can execute on getting something passed, ideally the Senate bill, but if not something that they could send to the Senate that we could then act on. I’m hoping that there is enough of a consensus and a majority of Republicans in the House who believe that we need to defend America’s interests, we need to stand with our allies, that this does represent a national security threat for our country.

America cannot retreat from the world stage. American leadership is desperately needed now more than I think any time in recent history, and we need to make sure that Ukraine has the weaponry and the resources that it needs to defeat the Russians, because, if we’re not sending them American weapons, and they succeed in Ukraine, and they go into a — roll into a NATO country, then we’re going to be sending American sons and daughters.

And I would much rather send weaponry, ammunition, that sort of thing, and let the Ukrainian people, who have been really good about carrying the fight to the Russians, win that battle. And I hope that we can get the political support to make that happen.