DeSantis invited to visit after ‘territorial dispute’ remarks

• DeSantis’ remarks put him on the same side as leading Republican presidential candidate.
• Donald Trump, who opposes US support for Kyiv.
• And criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the war.

After the Republican governor of Florida’s dismissal of the Russian invasion as a “territorial dispute,” Ukraine has extended an invitation to DeSantis to travel there.

Mr. DeSantis made his comments in response to inquiries that were forwarded to potential Republican candidates for president in 2024, who are widely expected to run.

The former congressman claimed that one of the US’s “important national interests” was not the continuation of its assistance for Ukraine.

The remark implied that if elected president, he would undoubtedly cut back on help.

Additionally, it put Mr. DeSantis on the same side as leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has opposed US support for Kyiv and criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the war.

These remarks highlight the conflict within the Republican Party between isolationists who are skeptical of offering military assistance and the party’s established position, which is to support Kyiv.

In his response to a questionnaire by news anchor Tucker Carlson, Mr. DeSantis said: “While the US has many vital national interests… becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”

The 44-year-old has been making all the required moves that suggest he would run against Mr. Trump for the Republican nomination, even though he hasn’t formally declared his desire to do so.

When asked the same question on whether US backing for Kyiv was vital for Washington, Mr. Trump said: “No, it is for Europe. But not for the United States.”

Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, condemned Mr. DeSantis’ remarks and on Tuesday tweeted an invitation to the Republican governor.

“We are sure that as a former military officer deployed to a combat zone, Governor Ron DeSantis knows the difference between a ‘dispute’ and war,” Mr. Nikolenko said.

“We invite him to visit Ukraine to get a deeper understanding of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the threats it poses to US interests.”

Mr. DeSantis was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and assigned to its legal branch, the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, while attending Harvard University’s law school.

While serving as a JAG officer, he had the opportunity to work with prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and served as a legal advisor to the highly skilled US Navy Seals who were sent to Iraq.

Several Republicans, including senior members of the party in the Senate, have long argued that supporting Ukraine is in the US’s best interest.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina claimed that the governor’s remarks revealed “a misunderstanding of the matter” in light of Mr. DeSantis’s remarks.

“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,” Mr. Graham said.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has also urged the US to provide more assistance.

Yet, there is a vociferous portion of the party, primarily in the House of Representatives, that is dubious about the funding’s continuation.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has backed Ukraine but lately issued a warning that the nation “can’t be given a blank cheque” given the size of American debt.

Congress members from both parties have voted in favor of providing Ukraine with Western assistance, approving more than $112 billion (£92.47 billion) in 2022 alone.

In terms of financial support, the US provides Ukraine with the most. Together with training, logistics, and intelligence support, it covers the cost of ordnance systems like missiles, tanks, drones, and other weapons.

For Ukrainians displaced by the violence, humanitarian help has provided food assistance, clean drinking water, medical supplies, and other necessities.

By paying government employees, healthcare providers, and educators, financial assistance keeps Ukraine’s government in operation.

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