Rep. Thomas Massie Explains Why He Did Not Support House Resolution to Provoke Russia

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) took to Twitter on Wednesday to explain why he could not support a House Resolution that passed the chamber by an overwhelming margin.

“I fully support the right of the people of Ukraine to self determination. However there are many reasons I could not vote for the seven page Resolution that passed the House of Representatives today,” Massie wrote to start his Twitter thread.

“The resolution contains an open ended call for additional and immediate “defensive security assistance.”  This term is so broad that it could include American boots on the ground or, as some of my colleagues have already requested, US enforcement of a no-fly zone,” he continued.

It expands the geographic scope of the US commitment to the conflict in Ukraine by condemning the country of Belarus. We should not be seeking to name new enemies or committing to overturning other governments,” Massie added.

Massie believes that the resolution will be used to continue the failed policies of intervention, which has caused a massive amount of blowback throughout the years.

“It calls for “fully isolating” Russia economically. This would hurt low-income US citizens who are already reeling from inflation. Innocent people in Russia, many of whom oppose Putin’s aggression, would suffer under crippling sanctions, possibly turning them against us,” Massie said. “Crippling sanctions could also drive Putin to become more desperate, inciting him to resort to drastic measures such as escalating the weapons employed or the people targeted.”

“The resolution contains a gratuitous statement that Ukraine and NATO will determine the relationship between the two of them. Of course this is true, but why should Congress assert this now when the goal is to de-escalate the conflict?” Massie asked.

“It calls for continuing support “as long as the Russian Federation continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.” Depending on the definition of “violate,” this could be a US commitment to forever be actively engaged in a conflict with another nuclear country,” he continued.

Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Matt Rosendale (R-MT) were the only lawmakers in Congress who joined Massie with his opposition to the resolution. Congress is also working on sending at least $6.4 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine. As usual, the U.S. empire is doubling down on policies that have been disastrous to everyone except the military-industrial complex throughout generations.