Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday that weapons used in Operation Epic Fury should have been sent to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia instead of Iran.
Iran responded to Operation Epic Fury by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at targets in Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. “CNN News Central” co-host Kate Bolduan asked Blumenthal about a Wall Street Journal article that argued that Russia was benefiting from the United States and its allies using missiles to combat the Iranian onslaught.
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“As a long standing, in fact one of the leaders in the United States Senate on behalf of aiding Ukraine militarily and economically, I am very fearful that this war is a setback for Ukraine,” Blumenthal told Bolduan. “We’ve been told again and again and again one reason that we can’t provide interceptors for the Patriot system or other munitions for Ukraine is that they’re in short supply, but the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday we have plenty of munitions and ordinance, so there is clearly-”
“Do you have you have a window into what the answer is, what the answer is when there is this contradiction?” Bolduan asked, with Blumenthal responding, “No window whatsoever, no explanation, no transparency or disclosure. In classified settings or in public, and this confused, chaotic approach to arming the forces in Iran contradicts what we’ve been told about Ukraine, and I will say Ukraine is a loser, but so are American consumers because already energy prices are rising, so will other costs of goods and living because LNG increased prices, as well as oil will mean higher costs not only at the pump but in supermarkets and other places where American consumers buy their goods.”
Oil prices climbed since President Donald Trump announced that the United States military and Israeli Defense Forces began Operation Epic Fury in a video posted on Truth Social early Saturday, with WTI Futures Crude Oil closing at $77.16 Wednesday, up over $10 from Friday’s close, according to Investing.com.
“So there’s a lose-lose here for America, for Ukraine, maybe a win for Russia because those energy prices rising will help fuel Russia’s war machine and we are expending arms in Iran that Ukraine could use in the fight for its life and the fight for freedom, which is our fight as well,” Blumenthal claimed.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, including MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles, Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role fighters and 155mm artillery shells. On multiple occasions, alarms have been raised that the effort to support Ukraine is leaving the United States and other allies with depleted stockpiles of crucial munition
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