With Trump back in charge, Van Drew becomes more amenable to assisting Ukraine

In both 2023 and 2024, when the House debated its annual Department of Defense appropriations bill, amendments came up preventing funds from going towards Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia. The amendments were doomed in both cases, but Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), long critical of America’s financial involvement in Ukraine, voted for each one.

Last night, during debate on the FY2026 Defense Department appropriations bill, another amendment came up to prohibit the bill’s funds from going towards aiding Ukraine. The amendment was essentially identical to one that Van Drew voted for in the FY2025 bill – but this time, Van Drew voted against it. 

The congressman told the New Jersey Globe today that his vote has less to do with a change in his own views and more to do with a change in circumstances, including a change in the man occupying the Oval Office.

“My view of this is the same as it was then. Circumstances have changed,” Van Drew said. “We’ve got a new sheriff in town.”

Van Drew said that, during the administration of President Joe Biden, he was concerned that U.S. money was being spent recklessly and excessively in a war that’s now been underway for more than three years. Under President Donald Trump, Van Drew argued, things are in better shape, particularly in light of a recent deal to allow NATO allies to finance the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.

“President Trump has said that he’s going to allow NATO, not to just give things to them, but to purchase certain armaments in order to try to end this thing and make sure that Ukraine isn’t totally overrun,” Van Drew said. “That is totally different than where we were before, when we were just pouring out money, whatever [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy asked, we were just forking it over.”

Trump’s own position on Ukraine, of course, has shifted in recent months too. The early months of his term were defined by his combative attitude towards Zelenskyy and his disinterest in supporting Ukraine, but the president has reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin (whom Van Drew labeled a “bastard”).

New Jersey, home to the country’s second-largest Ukrainian American population, has largely elected politicians who have no qualms about sending money to assist the Ukrainian war effort. When an enormous $61 billion aid package for Ukraine came before Congress last year, 13 of New Jersey’s 14 members of Congress voted in favor.

The one exception was Van Drew, who said he “love[d] the Ukrainian people” but that he didn’t trust the money would be spent the right way. Asked today whether his position would change if another aid package were to come before Congress, Van Drew was still skeptical.

“I would still be very cautious,” he said. “It would depend on how much it was, and what it was for, and if it wrapped it up and everybody wasn’t involved anymore.”