Divide on Ukraine support emerges in early 2024 GOP field
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are emerging as leading rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, but when it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they are united in arguing that stopping the aggression isn’t a vital U.S. strategic interest
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are emerging as leading rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. But when it comes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they are united in arguing that stopping the aggression isn't a vital U.S. strategic interest.
Trump and DeSantis were among the declared and potential GOP presidential candidates surveyed about the war by Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The answers from the group of Republicans revealed a divergence of opinions and underscored how the U.S. response to the war in Ukraine is becoming a litmus test in the early phase of the Republican presidential primary.
But the responses from Trump and DeSantis were particularly notable, both because of their stature in the party and the similarities of their positions. They contended that American involvement had only drawn Russia closer to other adversarial states like China and condemned the tens of billions of dollars that the United States has provided in aid for Ukraine.
“We cannot prioritize intervention in an escalating foreign war over the defense of our own homeland,” wrote DeSantis, who hasn’t yet announced a 2024 campaign.
