American neocons have claimed since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that providing U.S. aid to Ukraine is vital to deterring China from invading Taiwan. But what evidence supports this claim?
Earlier this week, several Pentagon and State Department officials testified before the House Armed Services Committee about U.S. relations with Taiwan and the effects a government shutdown could have on U.S. defense objectives. Of course, this conversation couldn’t help but discuss America’s bankrolling of its Eastern European proxy war.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., reportedly asked Mira Resnick, the deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security, about how Congress discussing cuts in U.S. aid to Ukraine could affect America’s relationships with other nations. In her response, Resnick recited the talking point often espoused by neocons that failing to send more U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine would embolden Red China against Taiwan.
“Demonstrating our resolve with respect to Ukraine is the best way to deter [China],” Resnick said. “Abandoning our partners encourages [China] to conclude that we will fail to provide for Taiwan’s sufficient self-defense. That is exactly the wrong message to be sending.”
[READ: 28 Republicans Reject Biden Administration’s Demands To Fund Indefinite Proxy War In Ukraine]
Resnick is hardly alone in her apparent belief. On Sept. 15, for instance, The Wall Street Journal published commentary by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Seth Jones. He evoked similar sentiments and claimed it is “misguided and dangerous” for members of Congress to argue that “every dollar
