Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) spoke out this Thursday against praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin — which hasn’t just been coming from random, anonymous voices on the internet, but from former President Trump himself. Before the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine that Russian authorities launched early Thursday (in local time), but after Russia unveiled recognition for two independent countries within Ukraine and shared military deployment plans for the areas, Trump characterized Putin’s moves as “savvy” and “genius.” As Trump put it, “Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper… That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen… Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”
Trump says Putin is a "genius." https://t.co/FamHiFVmUC
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) February 24, 2022
Who would’ve thought that, in another instance of Russian aggression in Europe, finding unified and unequivocal opposition to Russian leadership wouldn’t be a given among top figures in the Republican Party? Cheney commented as follows:
‘Vladimir Putin has launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. America and our allies must immediately impose the full set of crippling sanctions on Russia and its leaders. Putin’s decision to return to Soviet-style aggression against Russia’s neighbors cannot be tolerated by the free world. There is no excuse for praising or appeasing Putin. If America fails to lead decisively, the vacuum will be filled by the kind of brutal tyranny we are seeing on display in Ukraine today.’
— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) February 24, 2022
On a policy level, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has also gotten behind what would amount to appeasing Putin, although he took that position — which, specifically, was questioning the longstanding U.S. support for eventually admitting Ukraine to NATO — before the full-fledged invasion that began this week. In contrast to whatever it is that certain Republicans including Trump are angling to accomplish with their rhetoric, Biden and his team have swiftly moved to decisively respond to Russian aggression, with sanctions and troop deployments to Europe meant to shore up the defenses of NATO countries. In a speech at the White House this Thursday, Biden commented that the present “is a dangerous moment for all of Europe, for freedom around the world. Putin has committed an assault on the very principles that uphold the global peace. But now, the entire world sees clearly what Putin and his Kremlin allies are really all about… In the contest between democracy and autocracy, between sovereignty and subjugation, make no mistake: freedom will prevail.”
As Putin launches his premeditated war of aggression against Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation, Trump and his pro-Putin stooges and puppets praise this authoritarian aggressor. Pro-democracy Americans stand against this unfolding war crime.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) February 24, 2022
As for Republicans against the pro-Putin stance — again, not a given — there’s also Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who said this week that “Putin’s impunity predictably follows our tepid response to his previous horrors in Georgia and Crimea, our naive efforts at a one-sided ‘reset,’ and the shortsightedness of ‘America First.’” Trump, of course, continues to cast himself as essentially some kind of foreign policy mastermind, although he spent his time as the president alienating allies and, even if through inaction, helping dictators like Putin act as they wished.
Three years ago, Donald Trump faced an impeachment trial for withholding aid to Ukraine — meant to guard against Russia — while pressuring President Zelensky to investigate his political rivals
A reminder of some key players and their roles in that saga https://t.co/da6zkIE5kd
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 24, 2022
