Armed Services Republican denounces Ron DeSantis calling the Ukraine war a “territorial dispute” and saying it is “bigger than” just the land
- Senator Mike Rounds said the Ukraine war is “much more” than a land dispute
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the conflict a ‘territorial dispute’
- Pro-Ukraine Aid Lawmakers Say If It Falls To Russia, China Will Take Taiwan Next
Another Republican has spoken out against comments by Gov. Ron DeSantis who called the war in Ukraine a “territorial dispute” in which the United States should not be involved.
Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican on the Armed Services Committee, responded to the Florida governor’s comments, stating that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is “bigger” than just the territory in question.
“I don’t think it’s a territorial dispute,” Rounds told NBC’s Meet the Press in an interview Sunday morning.
“While he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) may be taking territory, and it is technically correct to say that territory is being taken. This is bigger than that for us,” added the South Dakota senator.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko has invited DeSantis to visit the war-torn nation after the Florida governor downplayed the conflict with Russia and demanded that the federal government focus on domestic affairs.
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said the Ukraine war is “much more” than a land dispute in the region.
It came after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the conflict a “territorial dispute” and called on the US to stop sending a “blank check” to Ukraine.
The comments from the potential 2024 presidential candidate come at a time when Republicans in Congress are demanding greater scrutiny of the $113 billion in aid sent to kyiv last year. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that Ukraine should not be given a “blank check” from the US.
The Florida governor’s position on US arms and monetary assistance to Ukraine sets him apart from several high-profile Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in December that aid to Ukraine should be the “number one priority” for the US.
Former Vice President Mike Pence recently said there was no place for “Putin apologists” in the Republican Party when referring to DeSantis’s comments.
“We stand with those who are fighting our enemies on their shores, so we don’t have to fight them ourselves,” said Pence, who is also mulling a 2024 run for president.
Rounds said on Sunday that the main problems for the United States include combating any influence from the aggressors Russia and China.
“I focus on what our biggest issues are,” Rounds told NBC host Chuck Todd. ‘And number one, China is our closest competitor. They are our focus right now. Russia is right behind them.
Many pro-aid-for-Ukraine Republicans have warned that if the nation falls to Russia, and if the United States allows it, China will rush to take Taiwan next.
DeSantis said during an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last week: “While the United States has many vital national interests: securing our borders, addressing the readiness crisis within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and controlling and the military might of the Chinese Communist Party – getting further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”
“The Biden administration’s virtual ‘blank check’ funding of this conflict for ‘as long as it takes,’ without defined goals or accountability, distracts attention from our country’s most pressing challenges,” he added.
Republicans have begun to scrutinize the amount of aid, financial and arms, that has gone to Ukraine since the war began last year. Pro-Ukrainian lawmakers claim that Ukraine cannot stay with Russia because Taiwan will be taken over by China next.
