Rep. Matt Gaetz leaned on the Chinese Communist Party’s talking points Tuesday when grilling Pentagon officials over Ukraine aid, citing an article by the party-controlled Global Times purporting that the U.S. is shuttling funds to Ukraine’s far-right Azov battalion.
Mr. Gaetz honed in on claims that the U.S. was supplying arms to the group while questioning Department of Defense Inspector General Robert P. Storch and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin H. Kahl during a House Armed Services Hearing on oversight of U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Congress banned arms sales to the Azov Battalion in 2018 over its ties to neo-Nazis. When pressed on whether the Azov Battalion is “getting access to U.S. weapons,” Mr. Kahl said he was not aware of any arms shipments reaching the group.
The exchange quickly became awkward, however, when Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, entered into the committee’s official record a Global Times article from March of last year which cited reports of U.S. weapons shipments to the Azov Battalion “as far back as 2018.”
“Any reason to disagree with that assessment?” Mr. Gaetz asked Mr. Kahl.
“I’m sorry, is this the Global Times from China?” Mr. Kahl replied.
Apparently unaware of the outlet’s ties to the CCP, Mr. Gaetz responded, “No, this is… Well, yeah it might be.” He then pressed Mr. Kahl to “just tell me whether the allegation is true or false.”
“I don’t have any evidence one way or the other,” Mr. Kahl replied. “As a general matter, I don’t take Beijing’s propaganda at face value.”
The hearing signaled a broader push by Republicans in Congress for oversight into the more than $100 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began one year ago.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, Alabama Republican, highlighted the “unprecedented” level of U.S. taxpayer dollars being sent to Ukraine over the past year, saying that such support requires “an unprecedented level of oversight by Congress.”
Some Republicans have voiced skepticism or outright resistance to U.S. aid for Ukraine, and those calls have intensified as the White House acknowledges there is no end in sight for Ukrainian forces to drive out the Russian invaders.
Mr. Gaetz and other hardline conservatives have been especially critical of continued support for Ukraine as Americans face growing economic challenges on the home front.
While most Republican lawmakers remain committed to providing support to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, party leaders have said such support cannot go unchecked.
Then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, warned in October that Congress would not provide a “blank check” for Ukraine. Mr. McCarthy is now speaker.
Mr. Rogers sought to assure taxpayers on Tuesday that their dollars were being put to good use, while saying that transparency is critical going forward.
“Many of us have traveled to Ukraine and surrounding countries to witness first-hand the train and equip mission,” he said. “We’ve made classified information on the situation in Ukraine available to all members, and our staff are constantly being briefed on the latest developments. But today is the first time a committee of the House is holding an open public hearing on the matter.”
“I’ve asked the inspector general and the under secretary to appear today because it’s imperative for the American people to understand, where is our security assistance going, how it’s being used, and what protections are in place to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands,” Mr. Rogers said.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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