John,
One of the hardest things to do in politics is to admit that you are wrong.
President Trump does not really do mea culpas. But this week, in his own way, he conceded that his policy toward Ukraine and Russia was not working.
After months of threatening to cut off aid to Ukraine and trying to strike a bargain with Vladimir Putin, Trump recognized something that many of his critics, and more than a few of his allies, have said all along: Putin is not interested in peace.
Since his inauguration, President Trump offered Putin off-ramp after off-ramp. Putin simply responded with more missiles, more drones, and more attacks on Kyiv.
So now, President Trump has changed course. He is authorizing a major transfer of U.S.-made weapons, including critical Patriot missile systems, through NATO allies to Ukraine. He is also threatening severe sanctions on Russia if it does not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.
As Trump’s former National Security Advisor, Ambassador John Bolton, told a No Labels audience this week, “Putin doesn’t think Trump is his friend. He thinks he’s an easy mark.” President Trump’s decision to allow the release of Patriot systems, Bolton said, “was the right thing to do.”
Ambassador Bolton also reminded us why this fight matters so much: “Any Russian will tell you there’s no Russian Empire without Ukraine being a part of it.” This is not just about land or influence. It is about Putin’s long-term plan to reestablish the reach of a 19th century Russian empire, with Ukraine as the centerpiece.
For all the blood and treasure Putin has spent trying to do that, the front lines have barely moved after more than three years of war. As No Labels’ policy team wrote earlier this week, Russia controls just 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, much of it territory occupied years before the full-scale invasion. Hundreds of thousands on both sides have died as a result.
Amid Trump’s pivot, what should we expect from members of Congress when it comes to Ukraine? It is simple: We should expect most of them to support President Trump’s increased aid for Ukraine, because most of them stood by Ukraine when Joe Biden was President.
We have all seen members of Congress who love one policy when it is advanced by their president, only to suddenly hate the same policy when a different president is in charge.
But we cannot afford this cynicism and hypocrisy when it comes to matters of war and peace, life and death.
It takes courage these days for a Democrat to endorse anything Trump does. But it is a sign of true leadership. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman said it was “the right call,” while New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer said he was “glad to see the United States sending more critical military aid...along with Trump's support for stronger financial sanctions against Russia.”
It has also taken courage for Republicans to stick with Ukraine from the very beginning, like Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, who reiterated the position he has held for three years, saying, “Real Republicans know that Putin’s Russia hates the West and freedom… We stand with right vs. evil… Reagan, Churchill, Eisenhower… that is our legacy. I won’t walk away from it.”
Unfortunately, there is not nearly enough of this kind of leadership in Congress. Some Democrats who vigorously supported Ukraine could not resist the temptations to just take potshots at Trump. Some Republicans who denounced support for Ukraine under Biden have suddenly gone silent now that their president has changed course. If they are willing to play politics with an issue this serious, then they quite frankly have no business being in elected office.
There are principled leaders in Congress, even if they are sometimes hard to find. No Labels will always stand with them, and we hope you will as well.
Dan Webb
