Outgoing Senator Mitch McConnell has warned, “This is the most dangerous period since before World War Two,” as he talked about foreign policy, specifically his support for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion.
McConnell, an 83-year-old Kentucky Republican, has served in the Senate for more than four decades. He had seen multiple U.S.-involved wars in his lifetime and did a stint in the Army Reserve in his 20s during the Vietnam War.
In a recent interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, McConnell said he’s focusing on defense and foreign policy during the less than two years he has left in office.
“I think this is the most dangerous period since before World War Two,” McConnell, who was born in the midst of the war, said.
He listed North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and Iran’s proxies as enemies of the U.S. and said, “We’re not prepared like we should be.”
The senator then went into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. McConnell has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the war.
“What we need to do is avoid the headline at the end of the war, ‘Russia wins, America loses.’ It has huge worldwide implications,” he said.
President Donald Trump has called for peace in the region, but has also said both Ukraine and Russia would have to give up some land to end the war.
McConnell had successfully pushed for the U.S. to send more military aid to Ukraine during the Biden administration, despite opposition from his own party.
“Well, I think certainly one of the most important issues I’ve been involved in over all these years,” he told NBC News in April 2024.
In his recent interview, McConnell gave a message to those concerned about how much money the U.S. is putting into the war: “I think it’s important to remember that about half of the money was spent in this country, including in Kentucky, [with] 38 states modernizing our own industrial bases. We’ve sent older weapons to Ukraine.”
Trump has been a critic of the amount of aid the U.S. has given Ukraine. Under the Biden administration, Ukraine received roughly $67 billion worth of weapons and other military aid, according to The New York Times.
In July, Trump announced European allies had agreed to buy American-made weapons for Ukraine, and last Thursday, the State Department said an estimated $85 million worth of extended-range cruise missiles and related equipment will be sent to Ukraine once approved by Congress.
McConnell also said in his interview, “There’s certain similarities right now to the ‘30s,” referring to the lead-up to World War II, which began in 1939.
“[Former President] Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill in 1930, widely believed by historians and economists to have taken the depression worldwide. Those who were totally anxious to stay out of all of what was going on in Europe were called ‘America First.’ Sound familiar?”
Trump’s sweeping global tariffs have caused concern of higher prices, more unemployment and even a possible recession.
But the economy has shown “resilience,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last month.
“The labor market remains near maximum employment, and inflation, though still somewhat elevated, has come down a great deal from its post-pandemic highs,” he said.
