DeSantis Downplays Russian Threat and Blames America For Causing War in Ukraine

While appearing on Fox News following President Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis explained that Russia’s military threat has been “third-rate” and blamed Biden’s “weakness” as the root cause of the Russian invasion.

“The fear of Russia going into NATO countries and all that and steamrolling, you know, that has not even come close to happening,” said DeSantis.

This is a 180º turn from the Republican Party of Reagan and Bush that helped eradicate the Soviet Union and the scourge of totalitarianism from much of Europe. DeSantis, Trump, and most of the GOP have rolled over and bared their bellies to Putin. https://t.co/TtobvAfybz

— Jeff Timmer (@jefftimmer) February 20, 2023

DeSantis blamed:

• The Obama/Biden administration for withholding lethal aid to Ukraine

• Biden’s weak withdrawal from Afghanistan

• Biden’s lack of attention to domestic issues: Ohio’s toxic spill; Fentanyl on the southern border; Chinese balloons

In 2013, DeSantis joined other hawkish conservatives and expressed concerns to then Secretary of State John Kerry about Russia’s economic coersion in Ukraine.

DeSantis, joined by Tom Cotton, Scott Perry, Adam Kinzinger and others, signed a letter of concern to Secretary Kerry.

Meanwhile….

"Responsibility for fomenting the Ukrainian conflict for its escalation and for the increasing number of victims lies entirely with Western elites."

— Vladimir Putin in his state of the nation address blames the West for its brutal invasion of Ukraine pic.twitter.com/79ZRcZJC4s

— The Recount (@therecount) February 21, 2023

Couple things here:

Even at the New START limits, the US and Russia have enough nuclear warheads to end the world as we know it several times over. Putin pulling out of this treaty (if he actually does it) does nothing to change the immediate calculus. https://t.co/AhmrVyxr7K

— Angry Staffer 🌻 (@Angry_Staffer) February 21, 2023

Politico, Mediaite