Pentagon Issues Putin Warning to Congress: 'China Is Watching'

The Pentagon has again urged Congress to approve more money to fund Ukraine's military operations, warning that lawmakers' failure to do so is sending a "dangerous message" to Moscow and Beijing.

Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Tuesday that the Pentagon wants Congress to quickly approve the "critically important" national security supplemental that would provide another $60 billion in funding for Ukraine.

Senators proposed the supplemental over the weekend in a bid to skirt the partisan gridlock that has delayed a major aid package for Ukraine for several months, causing a pause in the shipments of ammunition, missiles and other vital equipment.

"Ukraine's fight for its sovereignty sends a message to authoritarian regimes around the world that violating the international rules-based order comes at a high cost," Singh said Tuesday.

"Faltering in America's support for Ukraine would send a different message and a dangerous message. If the U.S. stops support to Ukraine, we should be clear-eyed about the repercussions. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is not going to stop in his quest for power and control beyond Ukraine's borders toward NATO...If Putin attacks a NATO ally, we will find ourselves in direct conflict, as we are committed to defending every inch of NATO."

"Let's be clear—we can do the responsible thing and pay now to help Ukraine or we can pay much more later to counteract the gains we would hand Vladimir Putin and an emboldened Russia."

The White House and its allies in Europe have repeatedly warned that victory for Russia in Ukraine may motivate Chinese aggression against Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing is committed to seizing control of. China has tacitly supported Russia's war, though it has framed itself as a neutral arbiter.

"China is watching how we support Ukraine in the face of Russia's overt aggression," Singh said. "If we falter, the [People's Republic of China] will be emboldened as well to take even more provocative actions in the Indo-Pacific."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries by email to request comment.

Kyiv has been struggling to retain Western focus as the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches. The frozen U.S. aid package is the most consequential example, with funding stranded between a partisan showdown over the southern border.

In Europe, too, progress has been slow. The European Union approved a $54 billion tranche of aid last week after months of delays caused by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, long criticized by fellow EU and NATO colleagues as sympathetic to Moscow.

Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, told Newsweek that the EU approval was "welcome news" in Kyiv. "Without this financial aid, our government would be unable to pay salaries and pensions. Thanks to this aid we have managed to avert financial catastrophe."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "grateful" for the package, which would "strengthen the long-term economic and financial stability" of his nation. The president said the new aid is "a clear signal that Ukraine will withstand" Moscow's war.

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