What Trump-Vance ticket means for Mitch McConnell's Ukraine aid crusade

Trump's choice of Sen. Vance as his running mate could make Mitch McConnell's goal of shoring up Ukraine support in the Republican Party even harder.

JD Vance's selection as Trump's running mate could pose a problem for McConnell's crusade for Ukraine support.  (Getty Images)

"For example, we know that over half the weapons subject to enhanced end-use monitoring we’ve sent have not been tracked according to DOD standards. This is totally unacceptable. My legislation would require the Biden administration to maintain much higher standards of tracking the weapons we send overseas. If they can’t maintain those standards, they lose their authority to send weapons in the first place," he added. 

TRUMP PICKS JD VANCE AS RUNNING MATE AS HE BECOMES GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has long been an opponent of Russian geopolitical machinations. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

He previously noted he planned to put "the main part of my focus in the coming years" on pushing back on Russia in Ukraine. He referred to the war as "a worldwide problem for democracies." 

In an interview last week, McConnell claimed to be seeing improvement in his party on the issue of supporting Ukraine and demonstrating leadership on the world stage. "Reagan would turn over in his grave if he thought we were not willing to stand up for people fighting for their independence — particularly against the Russians," he claimed

‘GREATEST’ LEGAL THREAT AGAINST TRUMP NOW GONE AFTER DOCS CASE DISMISSAL, TURLEY SAYS

Ukraine President Zelenskyy holding his hands up with a Ukraine flag in the background (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Despite the clear foreign policy differences between McConnell and Vance, the Senate Minority Leader applauded Trump on his choice of vice presidential nominee on Monday. "Senator JD Vance is a fierce advocate for the president’s policies and is the obvious pick for President Trump. He’ll make a strong case on the campaign trail on why we need to turn the page on the disastrous policies of the Biden administration," read a tweet from the Kentucky senator's campaign account. 

Trump hasn't been entirely forthcoming about what he would do to address the war between Ukraine and Russia, often claiming he would quickly be able to end the conflict. "If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours," he once said

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner. 

Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/what-trump-vance-ticket-means-mitch-mcconnells-ukraine-aid-crusade