Grand Canyon Times

U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) recently criticized what he says is "irresponsible and very dangerous rhetoric" regarding the war in Ukraine in what he labels a "push toward World War III."

"Pushing back on some of the irresponsible and very dangerous rhetoric I see coming out of Washington, D.C. from some of my colleagues," Crane, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday. "Now they're calling for us to send F-16s over to Ukraine. Basically, they're saying we need to send whatever they ask for so we can end this war really quickly. 

"Guys, this is getting out of hand," he added. It's passed out of hand sending I think over $100 billion that we don't have over to fight this proxy war. But what we're really doing, make no mistake about it, is we are pushing toward World War III. I'm not trying to be hyperbolic, that's just the reality of the situation. What we actually need to be doing is trying to get both sides into peace talks. We don't need to be escalating it."

According to a news release from the White House, since the start of the war, the U.S. has provided more than one million rounds of artillery ammunition; more than 100,000 rounds of 125mm tank ammunition; and 100,000 rounds of small arms ammunition.

The U.S. also organized the "Ukraine Defense Contract Group," which consists of 50 separate nations that have committed $50 billion in "security assistance," including nearly 700 tanks and thousands of other armored vehicles, more than 1,000 artillery systems, more than 2 million rounds of artillery ammunition, more than 50 advanced multiple rocket launch systems, and anti-ship and air defense systems, to Ukraine.

The U.S. has disbursed $13 billion in grant financing for what the White House calls "budget support for Ukraine." The White House says it will soon begin disbursing another $9.9 billion recently approved by Congress.

Crane, 43, was first elected to represent Arizona’s Second Congressional District in Nov. 2023. He defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleren (D-Prescott), winning 54 percent to O’Halleran’s 46 percent.  

A Yuma native, Crane graduated from Cibola High School and attended Arizona Western and University of Arizona before dropping out a week after the September 11 attacks to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He served as a Navy SEAL from 2001-2014.

Arizona’s Second Congressional District includes all of northeast Arizona, including Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Grand Canyon National Park, and the Navajo Indian Reservation as well as Maricopa, Casa Grande, Coolidge and Florence in south suburban Phoenix.