Orlando, Florida (CNN) – Former Rep. Ron Paul said Friday he was happy that his son, Sen. Rand Paul, opposed recent legislation that would send financial assistance to Ukraine.
“Congress just last week, they rushed to pass this guaranteed loan of a billion dollars, which is really just opening up the door for endless loans,” the Texas Republican said. “There were two senators who voted against it, and I’m very pleased my son voted against it–not that I had any doubts, I tell ya.”
His comment comes while Rand Paul, a potential presidential candidate, walks a tight rope on foreign policy issues as he tries to broaden his base–and potential donor pool–as well as appeal to establishment Republicans.
While Rand Paul and his father align on many issues, the former Congressman and three time presidential candidate has been more outspoken on staying out of the recent unrest in Ukraine, arguing that it could lead to a slippery financial mess for the United States.
“The last thing in the world we don’t need to be involved in is the internal affairs of the other nations, and we should not be involved in entangling alliances,” Ron Paul said Friday in his remarks at an event in Orlando hosted by the Campaign for Liberty.
Ron Paul has loudly vocalized his noninterventionist views for years–a tone that doesn't resonate with all factions of the GOP.
Rand Paul hasn’t been quite as strident about staying out of the Ukraine situation as his father. In fact, he argued last month that President Obama was failing to project Ronald Reagan's "peace through strength" policy, and he called for the United States to be even more aggressive on its diplomatic efforts relating to Russia.
"It is our role as a global leader to be the strongest nation in opposing Russia’s latest aggression," he wrote in an opinion piece.
While he supported technical and security assistance to Ukraine, he did not vote for an amendment last week that went along with the Senate bill to provide $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine.
“I cannot support the bill because it will have the perverse impact of using American tax dollars to reward Russia," he said in a statement.
With Rand Paul considering a presidential run of his own, his positions on international issues have been closely monitored, as some political observers consider foreign policy his biggest hurdle to cross in terms of reaching out to wider audiences within the GOP.
Proponents of the Kentucky senator say his libertarian-leaning approach is making inroads. They point to his top spots in recent polls measuring 2016 support, as well as his big win in a presidential straw poll at a major conservative gathering last month, as evidence of his rising popularity.
Along with reaching out to non-libertarian Republicans, the senator has been actively trying to appeal to voters who don't traditionally vote for the GOP, such as minority groups and Democrats.
Asked Friday by CNN what Ron Paul thought of his son's efforts, Paul said he doesn't “have anything to say about that.”