-
Gov. Ron DeSantis has beforehand averted taking a tough stance on the US’s Ukraine coverage.
-
On Monday, DeSantis stated in a press release the Ukraine battle isn’t of “very important nationwide curiosity.”
-
He additionally referred to Russia’s unprovoked invasion as a “territorial dispute.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had largely averted staking out a selected coverage place on the battle in Ukraine till Monday, when he stated it shouldn’t be a top-level curiosity for the US — breaking with many in his celebration and aligning extra carefully with former President Donald Trump.
“Whereas the US has many very important nationwide pursuits — securing our borders, addressing the disaster of readiness with our navy, attaining vitality safety and independence, and checking the financial, cultural and navy energy of the Chinese language Communist Get together — changing into additional entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia isn’t certainly one of them,” DeSantis stated in a press release supplied to “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox Information.
Russia launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of final 12 months. The US has since supplied Ukraine with billions of {dollars} of navy support, which has had bipartisan assist. Nonetheless, some Republicans, together with Trump, who as soon as stated Putin was a genius for his invasion of Ukraine, have stated the US has given Ukraine an excessive amount of assist and recommended it might escalate the battle or get the US extra straight concerned.
For Biden and his European allies, assist for Ukraine is framed as a significant a part of defending the sovereignty of the nation. Russia specialists have additionally stated that stopping Russia means defending different nations that Putin might assault.
DeSantis has beforehand not gone into element on his Ukraine coverage, even getting offended with a reporter earlier this month who questioned him on how it will differ from President Joe Biden’s.
“The US shouldn’t present help that might require the deployment of American troops or allow Ukraine to interact in offensive operations past its borders,” DeSantis continued in his assertion to Carlson on Monday, including: “These strikes would threat explicitly drawing the USA into the battle and drawing us nearer to a scorching battle between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.”
Carlson’s present had requested potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates to elucidate their positions on US support to Ukraine. Those that responded additionally included Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Many Republicans have been vocal dissenters of the nation’s monetary assist of Ukraine. Trump loyalists like Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Majorie Taylor Inexperienced have brazenly referred to as for an instantaneous halt of US assist of Ukraine in the course of the battle as not too long ago as February.
Carlson himself beforehand downplayed the specter of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by saying Italy posed an even bigger menace to the world than Russia and falsely claimed that Biden’s assist of Russia was “payback for the 2016 election.”
A leaked Kremlin battle memo even instructed Russian state media to function Carlson “as a lot as doable” of their broadcasts, Mom Jones reported in March 2022.
Nonetheless, many Republicans have additionally taken a stance in assist of Ukraine. Former Vice President Mike Pence beforehand stated that the US ought to again the war-torn nation “till peace is restored.”
Distinguished Home Republicans Rep. Mike McCaul and Rep. Mike Turner have even referred to as on Biden to extend present assist for Ukraine.
Whereas Trump and DeSantis are thought of frontrunners within the race, the previous allies have since had a really public break up, with the previous president ceaselessly attacking the governor.
DeSantis’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.
Learn the unique article on Enterprise Insider