Ilhan Omar First Democrat to Question Aid to Ukraine Amid Attacks on Russian Territory
Last week, Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) really jumped the shark with his remarks on the Ukraine war, saying he “wouldn’t care” if Zelensky were to use the soon-to-be-delivered F16 fighter jets to strike Russian territory. In light of numerous drone strikes near Moscow on Tuesday, fellow Democrat Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) strongly dissented from Nadler, Omar adding that attacks on Russian civilians would make her rethink support for Ukraine:
In light of today’s Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, Rep. @Ilhan Omar checked @RepJerryNadler’s comments from last week.
— Liam Cosgrove (@cosgrove_iv) May 31, 2023
She said if Ukraine targets Russian civilians, the U.S. “would have to make a different calculation” on whether to provide funding: pic.twitter.com/dMPtlls5AW
“If there is escalation where Ukraine is now fighting inside of Russia and causing lives to be lost in that regard, then we would have to make a different calculation,” the congresswoman said. “I only want people who are in battle to be hurt.”
On Tuesday, at least eight self-detonating drones attacked Moscow. While Russia reported no serious injuries, the event marks a considerable escalation from the two drones that exploded over the Kremlin in early May, which US officials stated was likely the work of the Ukrainian military.
According to the ministry, most of the drones were intercepted.
Last week, Nadler dismissed the likelihood of Ukrainian forces striking Moscow — despite the fact that it was happening in the border village of Belgorod as he was speaking — carelessly reassuring himself that “things like F-16s, they need for air defense over Ukraine so that they can provide air cover for their counterattack and things like that. They’re not gonna waste it in Russia.”
With another strike on Moscow just days after Nadler’s comments, will this change his calculation as it has for Rep. Omar?
