Ukraine Invites Trump Rival to Visit to Understand the Russian Threat to US Interests

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, announce on Mar. 14 that it has invited Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to visit Ukraine. DeSantis is considered to be former US President Donald Trump’s main competitor for the Republican Party nomination for the US presidential election in 2024.

The MFA’s announcement comes day after DeSantis, speaking in an interview with the Fox News channel, referred to the war in Ukraine as a "territorial dispute" and questioned the necessity of continued US aid to Kyiv.

Nikolenko continued: "We are confident that as a former military officer who has been in a combat zone, Governor Ron DeSantis knows the difference between a 'dispute' and a war. We invite him to visit Ukraine to better understand Russia's full-scale invasion and the threats it poses to US interests."

His latest comments appear to contradict earlier statements he made, that appeared to support Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression. CNN's KFile reviewed DeSantis's previous comments and revealed that, as a congressman, he had advocated the sending of "defensive and offensive" weapons to Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Additionally, he voted against funding a new missile defense treaty with Russia, until it was certified that Russian forces were no longer illegally occupying Ukrainian territory

DeSantis criticizes what he termed the "blank check" approach to aid for Ukraine, insisting that there needed to be better control of funding for Kyiv's defense and budgetary necessities. Furthermore, the Republican downplayed the danger of Russia to the United States in comparison to China, even "if Russia is hostile." He also diminished the possibility of a future Russian invasion of NATO countries.

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Washington’s announcement last week that it would send anti-personnel landmines to Kyiv was immediately criticised by human rights campaigners.

Interestingly a number of fellow Republicans contradicted DeSantis's comments. Among them South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said, the Governor’s comments displayed his total "misunderstanding of the situation. This is not a territorial conflict, it's a war of aggression. To say it doesn't matter is to say war crimes don't matter.”