Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott refused Friday to condemn President Biden’s decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military assistance package — a move that has sparked blowback from human rights activists as well as voters who fear the nation is going to get dragged into World War III.
The South Carolina senator instead insisted that if he were president the current situation would have never materialized, saying there would be enough resources to provide weapons other than cluster bombs.
“If I was president of the United States, we wouldn’t have to,” Mr. Scott said at the Family Leadership Summit’s Principle Over Politics session in Iowa. “Under my administration, we would have the resources and a defensive-industrial complex that provides the weapons that we need and other Western allies need. We wouldn’t be in this position at all.”
Just under six months from the first votes being cast in the Iowa caucuses, the gathering of social and religious conservatives in Des Moines was seen by some as the official starting gun in the GOP nomination race.
The gathering follows President Biden’s decision to authorize the military to call up 3,000 reserve troops to augment the armed forces in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and send Ukraine cluster munitions that have been banned by many countries.
Tucker Carlson, the conservative commentator recently fired from Fox News, moderated the event.
Mr. Carlson has been a vocal critic of America’s involvement in Ukraine. The issue is central to many Republican activists, thanks in large part to former President Donald Trump, who has vowed to end the war in 24 hours if elected and warned against more engagement.
“This conflict must end,” Mr. Trump said in a statement Friday. “Not one American mother or father wants to send their child to die in Eastern Europe. We must have PEACE.”
Mr. Scott has voted in favor of assistance packages to Ukraine.
The senator made it clear he does not want American troops thrust into conflict.
“I would say without any question we should never allow American soldiers to be engulfed in the challenge between Ukraine and Russia,” Mr. Scott said, drawing a smattering of applause. “Our boots on the ground should not be there.”
Mr. Scott said Russia is America’s most “immediate military threat.” He said it is in the nation’s vital interest to degrade the Russian military.
When Mr. Carlson asked why not force peace between Ukraine and Russia, Mr. Scott said, “How would you do that?”
Mr. Carlson said the financial assistance the U.S. sends to Ukraine gives the nation leverage to broker a peace deal.
Scott said, “I think the faster we get to peace the better off we are, but what we don’t want to do from my perspective is allow ourselves to ask for a premature peace that cannot be achieved as the alliances continue to come together,” adding that Ukraine should be able to maintain much of its territory as part of a peace deal.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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