Governor Ron DeSantis promised to end the war in Ukraine if elected President.
"It is in our interest to end this war and that is what I will do as President," DeSantis said at the Republican debate in Simi Valley, California tonight. "We are not going to have the blank check. We are not going to have U.S. troops. We are going to make the Europeans do what they need to do."
DC politicians have sent money to pay bureaucrats’ pensions and salaries in Ukraine. It's in our interest to end this war, and that's what I will do as president.
Meanwhile, our own country is being invaded. DC elites don't care.
We have got to defend the American people. pic.twitter.com/HK0t97N19m
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) September 28, 2023
Outside the GOP debate, protestors held up Ukraine flags and chanted "Don't be Putin's puppets!"
‼️HAPPENING NOW! Pro Ukraine protestors and Pro-Trump protestors outside GOP debate in Simi Valley pic.twitter.com/ZXTWepFztd
— Chris Nelson 🇺🇸 🏝 (@ReOpenChris) September 27, 2023
Since the war began, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress have directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute.
Last week, Biden announced an arms package totaling $325 million to Ukraine including AIM-9M missiles for air defense, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), avenger air defense systems; and.50 caliber machine guns.
"They've sent money to pay bureaucrats pensions and salaries and funding small businesses half way around the world," said DeSantis. "Meanwhile our own country is being invaded. We don't even have control of our own territory. We have got to defend the American people before we even worry about these other things."
"I've watched these guys in Washington D.C. and they don't care about the American people," said DeSantis. "They don't care about the fentanyl deaths. They don't care about the communities being overrun because of this border. They don't care about the Mexican drug cartels. So as Commander in Chief I will defend this country's sovereignty."