American publications loyal to both parties have criticized the Florida governor for effectively repeating Trump's claims that could potentially put Americans in mortal danger.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a dangerous mistake when he said, that Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine is nothing more than a “territorial dispute”, the outcome of which allegedly has no value for US interests.
“The former lawyer of the Navy should know that it is better not to engage in favors. But he is pandering to the isolationist wing of his party, echoing former President Donald Trump before the Republican presidential nomination in 2024,” the pro-Democrat Washington Post wrote in an editorial.
DeSantis, answering questions of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, emphasized that “peace should be the goal.” But allowing Russia to do whatever it wants is not the way to achieve it, but on the contrary – a guaranteed path to new conflicts and a more dangerous, unstable world.
“Supporting Ukraine is directly related to America's national interests. Closing in on yourself means creating a power vacuum that Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, Pyongyang and many others would gladly fill. China is watching. Taiwan will become more vulnerable if Russia gets away with annexing a large part of the neighboring sovereign country,” the Washington Post emphasizes.
The editors of the Wall Street Journal, loyal to the Republican Party, also believe that the potential candidate for the US presidency, DeSantis, made a big mistake when he criticized aid to Ukraine.
“He called for 'peace' without explaining how to do it.” so that this peace does not become a grave for Ukrainians if the West withdraws its support at the time when Vladimir Putin advances,” the newspaper writes.
Read also: The head of the Pentagon indirectly commented on the statements of Ron DeSantis regarding Ukraine< /p>
The editors of the Wall Street Journal admit that DeSantis simply read the political mood. Surveys say: about 40% of Republicans believe that the USA gives “too much” to Ukraine. Although only 9% held this opinion in March last year. The publication explains that this is rather a consequence of polarized American politics.
“Many Republicans are against helping Ukraine because Joe Biden is doing it, and their mirror image is the Democrats from the anti-war left wing, who glue stickers with the Ukrainian flag on their electric cars,” the article says.
The Wall Street Journal warns that the Republican Party should not flirt with isolationism. This policy of hers in the 1930s led to decades of “exile into the desert” from public life. Republican naivety was put on display when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The electoral stigma did not disappear until Normandy landings hero Dwight Eisenhower saved the Republican Party from Robert Taft and his reluctance to support NATO.
The New York Times, loyal to the Democratic camp, called DeSantis' words “a shocking distortion of the very nature of the conflict.” The publication accuses the Florida Republican of betraying his party's policies, which were formulated by President Ronald Reagan. Of course, modern Russia is not an “evil empire” of the same size and scope as the old USSR. But the evil Russian regime is trying to build a new empire that “will expand again and again until it is stopped at a catastrophic price.”
Today in the camp of the “right” in the USA it is fashionable to ridicule Reaganism as a “zombie ideology”. Certain political approaches of Reagan were indeed created exclusively for his time. But that's not the whole story. Ronald Reagan led a country that was in a deep economic crisis, as it is now, and also facing a much more powerful opponent than modern Russia or China. At the time, however, America was well aware that it needed to maintain its strength and moral clarity to meet challenges at home and abroad.
Read also: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine commented on DeSantis' statements regarding the support of our state
“40 years ago, Reagan spoke confidently and truthfully about the nature of external threats. This week, Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump failed that task. Both politicians, who built their brands around battling domestic political enemies, have now withered in the face of Russian weapons. If one of them wins, then the Reagan Republican Party will be truly lost, its moral clarity will disappear, and the maintenance of the international order will become the task of the Democratic Party, which shows more confidence in the morality and military power of the United States than the Republicans,” the article says.< /p>
National Review, a publication loyal to the Republican Party, believes that the failed statements of Ron DeSantis will haunt him throughout the election campaign and up to the election of the President of the United States in 2024.
“Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is the same “dispute” over territory as in the case when a robber and a bank depositor “dispute” over money. This statement puts a sign of equality between the invader and the victim. It will be difficult for DeSantis to explain why the hypothetical prospect of a Chinese takeover of territories in the Pacific region is a more pressing problem than the current Russian occupation of territories in a country that borders US allies with whom we have a defense agreement,” the publication writes.
The British edition of The Economist also criticized the potential candidate for the US presidency from the Republican Party, accusing him of inviting Putin to expand his aggression beyond Ukraine. The Russian autocrat is convinced that fickle and self-centered America will soon tire of defending Europe. And Russia will be able to benefit from this, filling the vacuum.
Read also: Bloomberg: DeSantis' criticism of aid to Ukraine alienates influential Republicans
“Whoever Russia chooses next: Georgia or Moldova, – before NATO begins to be tested, the problems America will face will be much greater than they are today. By strengthening Putin's beliefs, DeSantis is playing with logic that will put American lives at risk,” the publication writes.
Related video
The Economist also adds that DeSantis is undermining his own priority of confrontation with China. If the US leaves Ukraine, then countries in Asia that depend on American protection will begin to question the reliability of their ally in Washington. Having lost their faith, some of them will side with China. Others, such as Japan and South Korea, may develop nuclear weapons. All this is not in the interests of the United States.
