- Sen. Curtis said the decision to continue support for Ukraine is "easy" for him because "Putin is not our friend."
- Curtis said supporting Ukraine could postpone China's invasion of Taiwan which could cut U.S. GDP by 10%.
- Curtis said Congress should have control of tariff policy.
Utah Sen. John Curtis called for continued support to Ukraine, increased congressional control over tariffs and subsidized American energy production during two events on Friday in Salt Lake City.
At a gathering hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Curtis said negotiations with Russia and Ukraine should recognize Russian President Vladimir Putin as the aggressor, honor commitments to allies and show China what will happen if they invade Taiwan.
“This is why Ukraine is so easy for me,” Curtis told the room of several hundred business leaders, lobbyists and lawmakers. “Putin is not our friend.”
The line earned the most applause of any from the hour-and-a-half-long meeting. It is in America’s interest to support Ukraine, which is considered a “friend” in that part of the world, according to Curtis.
It is concerning that “that is news” to some people, Curtis said, adding that many of his colleagues in the Senate are closer to his view “than they sometimes sound.”
“Unfortunately, politics gets involved in this, but I am making this commitment that I will keep pounding that drum back in Washington,” Curtis said.
Curtis comments on Trump negotiations
On Friday, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that it was a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
When asked to comment on Trump’s negotiations Friday, Curtis said he has “learned not to try to outguess the President’s negotiating techniques.”
But during the Global Leadership Coalition panel with retired Navy admiral Robert Harward Jr., Curtis said the outcome of the negotiations will have a strong effect on when Chinese President Xi Jinping decides to invade Taiwan.
“If you don’t think President Xi is watching what we do in Ukraine, you’re sadly mistaken,” Curtis said. “If for no other reason than China and Taiwan, we need to stay with Ukraine.”
Chinese officials have signaled that they will invade Taiwan, which they consider part of their sovereign authority, within the next few years. If this happens, some estimate that the United States’ GDP will drop by 10% because of the disruption to global markets, Curtis said.
Curtis has sponsored multiple pieces of legislation on Chinese aggression over the last few years, including introducing a bill sanctioning Hong Kong officials that earned him a warrant for his arrest in China.
Another bill, Curtis’ Taiwan Allies Fund Act, would authorize $120 million to help countries with ties to Taiwan that have felt economic pressure from the Chinese government to cut those relations.
Curtis also received praise for a bill he introduced last month, the No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act, that would allow the Secretary of State to label some South American countries as terrorist sanctuaries and place restrictions on South American officials who support Hezbollah’s activities.
This month, the Times of Israel cited Saudi reports that 400 Hezbollah field commanders have fled Lebanon with their families to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela as Israel has sought to dismantle Hezbollah leadership.
Curtis wants Congress to control tariffs
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition President & CEO Liz Schrayer noted that many attendees had submitted questions about the Trump administration’s tariff policies. However, she opted to focus on other topics.
During a meeting with Utah energy companies on Friday afternoon, multiple power producers, battery developers and local manufacturers told Curtis that Trump’s global tariffs have made it difficult to get the supplies they need to make their products.
In response to a question from the Deseret News, Curtis said Congress should not have delegated its authority over tariff policy to the executive branch over the course of the last several decades.
“I think it belongs with Congress, not quite sure how and at what pace do we get it back. We’re kind of in the middle of something right now that is going to play out the way it’s going to play out,” Curtis said. “But I think this is a really good example of when Congress doesn’t do its job, the executive branch, no matter which president it is, tends to try to do it.”
Representatives from power plants, Fluence battery storage and Nextera solar energy thanked Curtis for being one of four Republican senators to send a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., cautioning against a full repeal of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
To remain competitive on the world stage, the U.S. needs to dramatically reduce federal permitting and increase its energy production, Curtis said, arguing that the IRA’s green energy subsidies in the form of tax credits have been an important part of doing that.
“If we want to lead, we have to be careful with what we’re cutting when it comes to the credits and the other things that are out there,” Curtis said.