WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Former New Jersey governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Friday, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the war-torn country’s capital city.
The question of continued aid to Ukraine — the U.S. already committed more than $75 billion in humanitarian and military aid since February 2022 — has become a polarizing issue within the Republican primary.
Christie’s visit to Ukraine comes just weeks after former Vice President Mike Pence’s June visit. Both the former allies of GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, have used their visits to further demonstrate their break from his policies as they seek to differentiate themselves to voters ahead of the primaries.
“Everything that I’ve seen here makes me able to make the arguments that I need to make in the U.S.,” Christie said during his trip. “I do see an urgent need for us to continue both the delivery of systems and the rounds that they need to shoot these artillery pieces to make this a successful fight and counteroffensive,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump, who has not yet visited Ukraine, has called for his party’s Congresspeople to withhold all aid to Ukraine until President Joe Biden’s administration cooperates with the GOP’s efforts to investigate his son, Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the country.
“… The U.S. Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles… to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime family’s corrupt business dealings,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania last Saturday.
Some Republicans, including House Oversight Chairman James Comer, have alleged the younger Biden’s business opportunities were corrupt and benefited then-Vice President Joe Biden. Congressional Republicans are investigating the matter, though the White House has said they have failed to produce evidence of misconduct by the senior Biden.
“House Republicans keep promising bombshell evidence to support their ridiculous attacks against the President, but time after time, they keep failing to produce any. In fact, even their own witnesses appear to be debunking their allegations,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement Monday.
Presidential candidates going overseas has turned into a rite of passage as they try to demonstrate their diplomatic abilities with foreign powers.
During his Friday visit, Christie acknowledged the “political arguments” encompassing U.S. support for Ukraine.
“There will always be political arguments in America,” Christie told Zelenskyy. “But I believe that the overwhelming majority of the American people understand that we need to be with Ukraine on this fight.”
Besides Kyiv, Christie also visited a memorial complex in Bucha, where he placed flowers at the mass grave of civilians killed during the war. Russian forces are accused of committing war crimes during their occupation of Bucha.
