McCarthy says Biden should have aided Ukraine sooner, despite condoning Trump withholding aid to the country in 2019

• Kevin McCarthy said Russia "probably" wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if Biden had sent aid sooner.
• "All they're asking for is the weapons to defend themselves," he said of Ukraine.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy suggested Russia "probably" wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if the US sent aid sooner, placing blame at the feet of the Biden administration despite condoning Trump withholding aid from the country in 2019.

"This is going to get stronger and rougher and what really needs to happen is, Ukraine is not asking for American men and women to fight, all they're asking for is the weapons to defend themselves," McCarthy said in an interview with Fox News Sunday: "If we would have taken those actions earlier instead of waiting till after Russia invaded, they probably never would've invaded had we done that sooner."

In 2019, McCarthy was a staunch defender of then-president Donald Trump during his first impeachment proceedings, when Trump faced allegations of withholding military aid from Ukraine in an attempt to coerce the country to investigate allegations of corruption related to Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

"Nothing in that phone call is impeachable," McCarthy said in 2019 in his defense of Trump. McCarthy went on to repeatedly defend the former president's decision to withhold aid from Ukraine, before changing his tune this week.

"Ukraine was craving the ability to defend themselves," McCarthy said on Sunday. "Had we moved the weapons to Ukraine earlier, that they could defend themselves, it would have saved thousands of lives and probably the decision of Putin not to enter."

McCarthy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Editor's Note: This story previously mischaracterized the type of aid former President Donald Trump withheld from Ukraine while in office. It was $391 million of military and security assistance, which he ultimately released once a whistleblower reported the withholding to Congress.