Foreign policy pundits are criticising Ron DeSantis for questioning further U.S. involvement in Putin’s war on Ukraine.
DeSantis described the war as territorial, declaring the conflict not vital to the national interest of the United States.
“Drawing the U.S. into the conflict draws us closer to a hot war between the world’s two largest nuclear powers,” he asserted.
Flat-out disagreeing with the D.C consensus, and some within his own party – such as GOP war fever cheerleader Lindsey Graham – Florida’s Republican governor drew the line at humanitarian aid, stating, “without question, peace should be the objective.”
“The U.S. should not provide assistance that could require the deployment of American troops or enable Ukraine to engage in offensive operations beyond its borders. F-16s and long-range missiles should therefore be off the table.”
“The risk of escalating the war,” he said, was “unacceptable.”
At the same time, DeSantis demanded transparency from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, painting Biden’s funding of Ukraine’s defence as a “blank cheque, without any defined objectives or accountability.”
“U.S. citizens are entitled to know how the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being utilized in Ukraine,” DeSantis stated.
He then addressed the Woke White House’s hypocrisy of funding the defence of Ukraine’s borders, while not caring about the southern border at home, arguing:
“We cannot prioritize intervention in an escalating foreign war over the defence of our own homeland, especially as tens of thousands of Americans are dying every year from narcotics smuggled across our open border.”
The comments were in response to a Fox News Ukraine questionnaire, later published online by Tucker Carlson.
Responding to DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Trump’s former UN Ambassador, turned potential GOP Presidential candidate, accused the 44-year-old of copycatting Trump.
Haley, in full “vote for me” mode, pitched, “Republicans deserve a choice, not an echo. America is far better off with a Ukrainian victory than a Russian one.”
Never Trump, Democrat-lite, Liz Cheney, went further, and labelled the popular governor’s stance on Ukraine, accountability, and war prevention, as “weak.”
Recounted by the NYPost, Cheney told the New York Times, “Surrendering to Putin, and refusing to defend freedom makes America less safe.”
Cheney’s cheap-shot isn’t just laughable. Her words have no real standing.
DeSantis was one of the only U.S. state leaders to ban vaccine mandates, not follow CCP-style lockdowns, and has led the way in protecting parental rights, despite attempts by the pseudo-religious LGBT fascist cult to cancel him (read more here).
More weight was given to the latter when DeSantis recently fired back at Joe Biden.
The current President proclaimed, opposing the trans-movement’s ideological genital mutilation of young people was “sinful.”
To which, DeSantis responded, “It is not ‘sinful'”‘ to prohibit the mutilation of minors. It is not acceptable for the federal government to mandate that procedures like sex change operations be allowed for kids.”
Trump also answered Tucker’s Ukraine questionnaire. He stated that opposing Russia in Ukraine was vital for Europe, not America.
“That’s why,” the former U.S. President said, “Europe should be paying far more than we are, or equal.”
“Our objective in Ukraine is to help and secure Europe, but Europe isn’t helping itself. They are relying on the United States to largely do it for them. That is very unfair to us.”
True to form, Trump said Putin wouldn’t have invaded if he was still president. He then landed some blame for Ukrainian suffering on, “a new lack of respect of the U.S.”
“Caused,” Trump argued, “at least partially, by our incompetently handled pull-out from Afghanistan.”
On Ukraine, he added, “The death and destruction MUST END NOW!”
“The President must meet with each side, then both sides together, and quickly work out a deal.”
Trump added, “This can be easily done if conducted by the right President. Both sides are weary and ready to make a deal. The meetings should start immediately.”
Read in the correct context, DeSantis and Trump’s caveat-fuelled answers could be considered a rebuke of Zelensky, who declared in February 2023:
“The U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters exactly the same way as we are sending [our] sons and daughters to war.”
The khaki-clad Ukrainian president wants the U.S. to give the besieged state, F-16’s.
Zelensky’s implied (and somewhat manipulative) ultimatum: If Ukraine falls, the U.S. would have to fight a war anyway. Therefore, the U.S. either sends the ‘Fighting Falcons’ now, or they’ll have to send their sons, and daughters to do the fighting instead.
Twelve months since Putin’s tanks roared into Ukraine, both DeSantis and Trump see win-win negotiation, not more war, as the only solution.
Both leaders, in their own right, are expressing the concerns of millions over the billions of dollars in other people’s money being poured into Ukraine, without the proper scrutiny.
Both leaders understand the dangers of escalation.
They rightly hint that more war will only beget an even greater war.
