Republicans’ fissures on foreign policy have been on full display the past few weeks as the GOP’s Russia hawks have expressed unease with President Donald Trump’s posture on Ukraine and NATO as he pushes for a peace deal with Moscow.
But despite these disagreements on policy and rhetoric, there’s surprisingly little dissent as GOP leaders set the stage for an unprecedented hike in defense spending.
Between budget reconciliation and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) plan to boost the Pentagon’s topline funding number, Republicans are setting the stage for major new investments even as Trump takes U.S. foreign policy in an entirely new direction — often to the dismay of hawks like Wicker.
“This is actually where, if you have a Venn diagram, we come together — no matter where you stand on Ukraine or should we continue to be the global cop,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), a close Trump ally, said of boosting Pentagon spending. “But with Roger Wicker — on that committee, you just don’t see much disagreement on that.”
Yet it’s Schmitt’s camp, led by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, that’s winning out on the policy front, with Wicker and his allies publicly breaking with the Trump team over their actions and rhetoric on Russia and Ukraine.
Risks for the hawks: The GOP skeptics of Trump’s bid to clinch a diplomatic agreement with Russia and end the Ukraine war have little, if any, power to prevent Trump from pursuing a deal. Democrats argue GOP hawks have the ability to use the aforementioned funding mechanisms to steer policy choices. This is especially relevant as Trump tries to dismantle foreign aid programs.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who are aligned on Ukraine, visited Kyiv last week and saw the impact of the various funding freezes up close. Shaheen said these cuts are “empowering our adversaries who are all too eager to fill the void we leave behind.” Tillis, however, has been focusing on other elements of the trip.
The bipartisan duo met with the Chair of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who told them there should be “no peace at any price” — in other words, the U.S. shouldn’t rush a peace deal that doesn’t benefit Ukraine. Tillis said he agreed with Stefanchuk.
“I hope those who are at the negotiating table are not using [Trump’s] rhetoric,” Tillis said of Trump’s criticisms of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and refusal to label Russia the aggressor. “That’s not a good trajectory for a lasting peace for Ukraine. That’s all I care about — and always stipulating that Putin is a thug and a murderer.”
But the events of the past few weeks have shown that, in the Senate, Schmitt’s camp of younger, more-recently elected GOP senators now has the upper hand over more traditional Republicans. Schmitt delivered this message on Trump’s behalf earlier this month at the Munich Security Conference, which Tillis and Wicker also attended.
While Schmitt sees an opportunity to end the war in Ukraine and re-orient U.S. resources toward the Pacific, Tillis and Wicker are warning of a surrender to Vladimir Putin, whom both men have relentlessly excoriated in response to Trump’s musings.
Hegseth watch: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made life difficult for Republicans like Wicker. This ranges from incendiary comments about NATO and Ukraine to firings of senior military leaders.
For now, though, Republicans are going along with Hegseth’s directive for an 8% Pentagon spending cut. This isn’t unusual for a new administration and wouldn’t necessarily negate Wicker’s push for a higher topline. Wicker declined to speak with us Wednesday.
But GOP leaders are keeping a close eye on what could get scrapped.
“I’m not exactly sure where the 8% number or argument is coming from or what it applies to, but certainly we’re heading in our own direction, let’s put it that way,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told us.
