DeSantis’ dangerous position on Ukraine shows a lack of foreign policy experience | Opinion
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ comments during the Nov. 8 Republican primary debate showed a disappointing lack of leadership. He presented fallacies and half-truths about the United States’ efforts to aid the country.
DeSantis’s proposed reorientation of U.S. foreign policy toward countering China should not overshadow the urgent need to address Russian aggression in Europe. In fact, the two are inextricably tied. First, Russia is relying on Iran and North Korea for military aid. Countering this axis of evil should be core to our Asia policy.
If America ended its support, Ukraine could fall to Russia, with a subsequent Russian attack on a NATO ally, such as Poland, Lithuania or Finland, imminent. And while DeSantis narrows his focus to threats posed by dictatorial leaders in the Indo-Pacific region, he fails to recognize that China is watching the U.S. response closely.
Ukraine and China
In fact, Taiwan’s representative to the United States says in no uncertain terms that, “Ukraine’s success in defending against aggression is so important also for Taiwan.” Taiwan knows China would take advantage of a Russian victory in Europe by trying to do the same thing. Why doesn’t Florida’s governor?
It’s clear DeSantis does not fully comprehend the situation — for instance, by demanding that there should be “no blank check for Ukraine.” To be clear, Ukraine is not receiving a blank check from the United States. The transfer of weapons and equipment has been executed largely under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which lets the United States to draw from existing stockpiles for immediate delivery during crises.
Supplemental aid packages have allocated $25.93 billion to restore the stocks depleted under PDA. While the military aid Ukraine has received has not been enough to eject Russia’s invasion forces, Ukraine has shown promise in the successful counteroffensives to liberate the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. When America gives Ukrainian forces the tools they need to win, victory is attainable.
Investing in a Ukrainian victory now is crucial to reducing long-term conflict costs. Recent polls indicate ongoing public support for aiding Ukraine, with a majority of voters recognizing the importance of standing against Russian aggression.
A national poll by Change Research shows that public support for Ukraine aid continues, with 60% of U.S. voters believing that America’s allies and enemies would view a U.S. withdrawal of Ukraine military support as a sign of weakness. Sixty-eight percent believe a Russian victory over Ukraine would make the world less stable, and 84% say Putin is a threat to American interests.
Upon learning that only a small fraction of the U.S. annual defense budget has enabled Ukraine to decimate Russia’s military capabilities, polling shows there was a significant increase in support for Ukraine funding among self-identified MAGA Republican voters.
Russia’s ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine, posing a considerable threat to Europe and, by extension, American interests. DeSantis knows this. But he argues that Europe needs to “step up and do their fair share.” Contrary to DeSantis’s claims, European nations have committed more than double the support compared to the United States. America currently ranks 20th in GDP percentage contributed to Ukraine. In fact, the U.S. has only contributed 3% of the U.S. military budget — and with this, Ukraine has managed to cut Putin’s combat capacity in half.
Yes, Governor, we do need to bring this war to an end. But letting Russia keep territory it invaded is a betrayal of American interests and a victory for Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Without a clear Ukrainian victory against Russia’s invasion, the war will only drag on for years or decades to come, and returning peace to Europe will require even more costly American commitments.
Mykola Murskyj is the director of advocacy for Razom for Ukraine, a U.S. advocacy organization for Ukraine.
