Republicans have been softening their stance on Russia ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election following Russian hacking of his Democratic opponents.

At about 2 a.m. last Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stood on the Senate floor and explained why he opposed sending more aid to help Ukraine fend off the invasion launched in 2022 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I don’t like this reality,” Johnson said. “Vladimir Putin is an evil war criminal.” But he quickly added: “Vladimir Putin will not lose this war.”

That argument — that the Russian president cannot be stopped so there’s no point in using American taxpayer dollars against him — marks a new stage in the Republican Party’s growing acceptance of Russian expansionism in the age of Donald Trump.

  • @GRENADE_MAGNET
    48•10 months ago

    Why is our military so huge? Why have we spent Trillions over decades?

    In part to counter Russia for sure.

    Now we have an opportunity to proxy war the shit out of them without risking American lives while preventing possibly worse escalation down the road should they win in Ukraine all while using old munitions and equipment that would be decommissioned anyway while increasing production at home and . . .

    GOP: Nah