Most of the candidates vowed to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, but the notable exception was Vivek Ramaswamy. He suggested that supporting that country when the U.S. hasn't fixed its own problems was "disastrous."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Ramaswamy said they opposed more funding to Ukraine, arguing the money should be spent securing the U.S. border against drug and human trafficking.
"As president of the United States your first obligation is to defend our country and its people," DeSantis said.
Ramaswamy compared support for Ukraine to the ill-fated U.S. military interventions in Iraq and Vietnam.
"The realty is that today Ukraine is not a priority for the United States of America," he said.
Christie, Haley, and Pence cast support for Ukraine as a moral obligation and a national security imperative, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue his aggression if he succeeds in Ukraine, potentially threatening U.S. allies.
"Anybody who thinks we can't solve problems here in the United States and be the leader of the free world has a small view of the greatest nation on earth," Pence said.
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