The following is part of The Moscow [1] Primary [2], an irregular [3] series [4] on yours [5] truly’s [6] speculations [7] regarding [8] the views [9] of the 2024 [10] Republican [11] nomination contest from most important player: the Kremlin.
Governor DeSantis is trying to have his cake and eat it too. He’s acting like a presidential candidate but he doesn’t want to be treated as one. More importantly, though, he’s trying to refine his stated view on Ukraine. In the process, he is once again appeasing the Kremlin (The Hill [12]).
Gov. Ron DeSantis [13](R-Fla.) urged Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire, making the comments during a visit to Japan on a multi-stop international tour.
“You don’t want to end up in like a [Battle of] Verdun situation, where you just have mass casualties, mass expense and end up with a stalemate,” DeSantis said in a Tokyo interview [14] with outlet Nikkei Asia, making reference to the major World War I battle.
“It’s in everybody’s interest to try to get to a place where we can have a cease-fire,” DeSantis said. Russia’s war on Ukraine passed its one-year mark earlier this year, and Kyiv is reportedly prepping [15] for a possible spring counteroffensive.
For starters, this statement flat-out rejects the possibility of a Ukrainian victory. DeSantis just blithely asserts Russia will keep what it has stolen. Never mind the losses Putin’s forces suffered during last year’s Ukrainian counter-offensive. After all, DeSantis has a tyrant to win over.
This is a return to form for the Florida Governor. He previously dismissed [9] Ukraine’s effort to defend itself as a “territorial dispute.” Then he tried to deflect the blowback by bashing Putin personally while still opposing any American effort [11] to stop him. This time, he just rules out Ukrainian victory while bashing our European allies. Being DeSantis, he also got his facts wrong.
“The Europeans really need to do more [on Ukraine]. I mean, this is their continent. The U.S. has provided security for them. And yes, Poland — there’s some that are doing stuff, and that should be appreciated. But Germany, they’re not doing anything,” DeSantis said.
Germany has committed €1.20 billion, or $1.16 billion, in military aid to Ukraine, ranking third behind the United Kingdom and Poland in terms of spending, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. [16]
Whoopsie.
There has been plenty of discussion about DeSantis’ problems lately. However, most have not been in reference to the Moscow Primary. DeSantis is trying to out-appease Donald Trump on Ukraine without alienating his dwindling pro-Ukraine supporters. He has once again shown he can’t do that. So he’s prioritizing appeasement, proving his unfitness for office yet again.