Ukrainian citizens to try to intimidate them into capitulating they're not gonna do that.

That was US President joe biden saying Vladimir Putin is running out of options in Ukraine.

And Washington has played a big part in that since february, the U.

S.

Congress has approved tens of billions of dollars to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian forces.

In so far that funding has enjoyed strong bipartisan support, both in the Senate and the House.

The US along with its Western allies, has promised to back Ukraine for as long as it takes with weapons and humanitarian aid.

But with the U.

S.

Midterm elections less than three weeks away and the republicans likely to take control of Congress, there are signs that cross party support might be starting to wane this week.

The Republican House minority leader, kevin McCarthy gave this warning in an interview.

He said, I think people are going to be sitting in a recession and they're not going to write a blank check to Ukraine.

They just won't do it.

It's not a free blank check.

And I want to talk about all of this with our Washington correspondent.

So me some mask and assuming so good to see you.

So is kevin McCarthy really saying the republicans will cut funding for Ukraine if they win control of Congress.

Nicole.

That's a question a lot of people have been asking in Washington today because this really is the first time that we have publicly heard a leading Republican signal, doubt about the resiliency of US support for Ukraine.

And Kevin McCarthy of course, is the House minority Leader.

So that means he's the top Republican in the House of Representatives right now.

And as you said, this is an issue that until now has gotten broad bipartisan support.

I mean, both parties have been very eager to show that they are firmly behind Ukraine.

The White House has said on multiple occasions that they see this war as fundamental to U.

S.

Security as well.

Congress has approved tens of billions of dollars of humanitarian aid.

The White House has sent of course billions of dollars worth of military equipment as well.

So, these comments have raised eyebrows Nicole and I thought it was interesting what the White House said that they were asked about McCarthy's comments and the press secretary, Karen jean Pierre, didn't really address it.

She thanked Congress for its bipartisan work in supporting Ukraine and she said, quote, the White House will continue to monitor those conversations on these efforts and support Ukraine as long as it takes.

So this is the first time we're hearing something like that uttered in public.

But how popular is that opinion among the GOP?

Maybe even behind closed doors, it's hard to tell Nicole.

I mean, I think first we have to dig down into what Kevin McCarthy said, and if you if you look at the quote, he said, it is not a free blank check and that I think is in part a nod towards a growing sentiment among many republicans that there needs to be more oversight of how money is spent.

I mean, we are talking about billions of dollars of military equipment and republicans are essentially saying many of them are saying there's not enough close monitoring of exactly how that money is being spent, where it is going uh if it's ending up in the right hands, if it's supposed to be ending up where where it was intended to end up and the U.

S.

Has been delivering weapons and aid at such a fast speed that it isn't easy to track where it's all going.

So republicans, as an answer to that have offered amendments to assistance packages that would create a special inspector who would monitor US funded aid into Ukraine as a way to to amend this.

That might be what Kevin McCarthy was signaling.

But Nicole, I think there's something else to look at here that is a divide in the Republican Party for the most part, as we said, congressional republicans have stood behind Ukraine.

But if you look at the hard right wing of the party, so the republicans who are tied to former president trump, they have expressed more pro Russian and pro Putin sentiment in the past.

So I think we're seeing in part a question about where aid is going and also a rift in the Republican party, the US is the biggest supporter of Ukraine's war effort.

Is this an issue voters are worried about going into the midterms.

I think it's important to say there is still broad support for Ukraine and a rejection of Russia.

But that interest and concern has waned.

And I looked at a study from the Pew Research Center, they polled Americans in September and that study showed that the share of US adults who are concerned about Ukraine losing this war, it is down to 38%, it was 55 per percent in May.

So that number is dropping and interestingly enough and cold, there's a partisan difference.

So democrats are more likely than republicans to express a high level of concern about issues related to the war.

So it's safe to say it's not a major issue heading into these midterm elections.

But the economy is inflation is high.

Gas prices have picked up again.

And that is something the biden administration has struggled to address.

We've talked to plenty of voters, me and my D.

W colleagues here who say the economy is top of mind.

So what kevin McCarthy is touching upon here is how long that this broad spending for Ukraine can continue with so many americans struggling economically.

And I know that's a question being asked there in Germany and europe as well.

But combined with midterm elections, it does have some abs servers concerned and one more note in that Nicole, remember republicans are expected to win back the House of Representatives in these upcoming midterm elections, so we could really have an impact what we heard from Kevin McCarthy.

Exactly.

So thank you so much, Always great speaking to you.