During discussions between Trump and Putin, Wicker adopted a more hawkish stance, aligning with traditional Republican perspectives. He labeled Putin a “war criminal” who should be imprisoned for life.
Wicker also firmly opposed the idea of Russia rejoining the G7, rejecting a suggestion Trump made on Thursday.
While Trump recently claimed that NATO’s expansion provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wicker disagreed.
“There are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys,” Wicker stated. “They invaded in violation of nearly every international law, and they must be defeated. Ukraine deserves the support promised to it by the world.”
As a leading advocate for U.S. aid to Ukraine in the Senate, Wicker pushed the Biden administration in its final days to accelerate weapons shipments to Kyiv. He urged President Joe Biden to remove restrictions preventing Ukraine from using donated arms to strike Russian territory and accused Trump of delaying weapon deliveries.
Wicker has long viewed the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a test of American strength, warning that failing to support Ukraine could increase the likelihood of future U.S. military interventions.
On Friday, he reiterated his call for continued U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine “until there is a ceasefire.”
Leave a Reply