Tom Cotton and Ukraine: Backing Ukraine’s Military ‘to the Hilt’

Speaking at the National Review Institute’s foreign-policy forum last week, Senator Tom Cotton said that he believes Ukraine’s central war aim — forcing Russian invaders from Ukrainian territory — is “very reasonable,” and that the U.S. should back it “to the hilt.”

“I think one of the failures to deter this invasion in 2021, early 2022 is a lesson that President Biden should have taken from Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy, is that standing with our friends, helping them defend themselves, being clear and competent in the use of American power in all of its many tools and instruments does not lead to war. It leads to success,” Cotton said, citing President Reagan’s decisions to invade Grenada and arm Afghan rebels in their fight against the Soviet Union.

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Jimmy Quinn

Jimmy Quinn is the former national security correspondent for National Review.

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Speaking at the National Review Institute’s foreign-policy forum last week, Senator Tom Cotton said that he believes Ukraine’s central war aim — forcing Russian invaders from Ukrainian territory — is “very reasonable,” and that the U.S. should back it “to the hilt.”

“I think one of the failures to deter this invasion in 2021, early 2022 is a lesson that President Biden should have taken from Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy, is that standing with our friends, helping them defend themselves, being clear and competent in the use of American power in all of its many tools and instruments does not lead to war. It leads to success,” Cotton said, citing President Reagan’s decisions to invade Grenada and arm Afghan rebels in their fight against the Soviet Union.