WASHINGTON — As a junior U.S. congressman from Florida in 2014, Ron DeSantis accused Moscow of “violating Ukrainian sovereignty,” accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of creating a “pretext” to invade its neighbor, and sought assurances from the Obama administration that the United States would stand by its NATO allies.
In contrast, DeSantis now calls Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “territorial dispute” that is not core to U.S. interests, a position he made clear earlier this week in a statement to a Fox News host.
DeSantis’ apparent policy reversal comes amid a debate within the Republican Party over whether the United States should continue supporting Ukraine and the NATO alliance — the foundation of security in Europe since the end of World War II — that began when former President Donald Trump in 2016 openly questioned U.S. commitments to European defense.
