WATCH: Reporter Stumps State Department Spokesman By Questioning Rationale For Ukraine Funding

Veteran Associated Press reporter Matt Lee stumped State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel by questioning how funding the war in Ukraine helps to “keep democracy safe.”

President Biden and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have framed the war in Ukraine as a war for democracy in the face of Russia’s authoritarianism. “What exactly does keeping democracy safe in wartime mean to you?” Lee asked. I mean, does that mean like, let’s look at our own history, alien and sedition acts? What does that mean?”

Patel was unable to explain how the war helps to “keep democracy safe.”

“It’s not for me to be prescriptive about what I’m saying,” the State Department spokesman replied. “What I was simply saying is that we, as it relates to the multiplicity of support that we are offering our Ukrainian partners, of course we talk a lot about our support in the security space, but there is also other areas, humanitarian support, support for civil society, and things of that nature.”

The AP reporter then asked about possibility of the postponement of Ukraine’s upcoming elections, which are slated for next year. “I’m just not sure I understand your response to the question because, I mean, if Ukraine, you know, you’re right that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people displaced. Voting would be difficult under the current circumstances, why would you not give your support to something like a postponement?” Lee asked after listing previous examples where the department has supported the postponement of elections in nations racked by conflict.

“Matt, we’re just – I don’t have a formal decision to – or announcement to offer. This obviously is something that is for our Ukrainian partners to determine,” Patel said.

Lee’s questions addressed similar concerns that were raised by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in his latest installment of Tucker On Twitter. Carlson described the conflict in Ukraine as “the most pointless war of all” and questioned the “war for democracy” rationale given recent measures undertaken by the Ukrainian government. Since the Russian invasion of wider Ukraine last winter, the Ukrainian government has banned opposition parties, media outlets and even the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the measures are necessary due to wartime security concerns and has hinted that next year’s scheduled elections could be postponed if the nation does not win convincing battlefield victories.

“Now that’s not just any autocrat, that’s our chief ally in the war for democracy. This is the guy who just announced he’s likely to cancel next year’s elections,” Carlson said of Zelensky.

“Without Ukrainian democracy, in other words, we can have no democracy here. If the Ukrainians aren’t free, neither are we. We must make sure they can vote in Kyiv so we can continue to vote in Kansas City. It’s really that simple,” Carlson said, questioning the rationale for seemingly limitless funding of the war.