Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to X on Monday to slam the recently-circulated "peace" plan for Ukraine that turned out to be heavily influenced by the Russian government — and without directly mentioning him by name, went after Vice President JD Vance for defending it.
McConnell, who previously served as the Republican leader in the Senate, and who has clashed with the vice president on previous occasions, particularly took issue with Vance's claim that critics of the plan don't understand "some critical reality on the ground."
"I’m told that to criticize a proposed deal that initially hewed closely to Russia’s preferred outcome is to misunderstand or misstate 'some critical reality on the ground.' So let’s talk about reality on the ground," wrote McConnell. "This fall, Ukrainians were polled on their views of war termination. Overwhelming majority (75%) would reject plans that constrain UKR’s military and forfeit territory they controlled. And 76% say they would fight on in the absence of U.S. support. In other words, a peace deal that doesn’t secure Ukraine won’t actually stop the killing."
Moreover, McConnell continued, "The price of peace matters to Americans, too! Demand for Ukraine to give up territory is a fringe position among Trump voters (16%). More popular? Sanctions on Russia and support for Ukraine."
"Conclusion: The most basic reality on the ground is that the price of peace matters," McConnell concluded. "A deal that rewards aggression wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s written on. America isn’t a neutral arbiter, and we shouldn’t act like one."
McConnell is not the only Republican lawmaker to balk at the plan. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), usually a firm ally of the president, stated, “While there are many good ideas in the proposed Russia-Ukraine peace plan, there are several areas that are very problematic and can be made better."
