- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis downplayed the military threat posed by Russia.
- European leaders have long warned that Putin could seek to expand the war in Ukraine.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis played down the threat posed by Russia to NATO allies after President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday.
Speaking on 'Fox & Friends,' DeSantis criticized what he characterized as a "blank check" policy of the Biden administration in its support for Ukraine.
"The fear of Russia going into NATO countries and all that and steamrolling, you know, that has not even come close to happening," DeSantis said. "I think they've [Russia] shown themselves to be a third-rate military power."
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 20, 2023
DeSantis, who is considered by some to be the frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, despite not yet officially announcing he is running, echoed criticisms that some hard-right Republicans have made of the Biden administration's backing for Ukraine.
A group of House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have introduced measures to try to limit aid the US sends to Ukraine.
Republicans loyal to former President Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda have long called for America's involvement in foreign conflicts to be restricted. Some have also promoted conspiracy theories about the Ukrainian government and sought to play down Russian aggression.
Biden's visit to Ukraine was the first by a US president to a war zone where US forces are not stationed, and was made days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion.
During the trip, Biden said the US would support Ukraine "for as long as it takes." At the same time, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced a new $450 million military aid package.
Biden, in speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday is expected to characterize the war as a battle for democracy.
European leaders have warned that Russia could seek to expand the conflict beyond Ukraine, with Moldova's president last week saying that Moscow was seeking to destabilize her country.
Baltic nations — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have said the conflict in Ukraine vindicates their longstanding warnings about a revanchist Russia, while Sweden and Finland have pushed to join NATO.
Russia has suffered a series of setbacks since it launched its invasion in February 2022, sustaining heavy casualties, and it is currently struggling in its attempt to seize control of the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Vuhledar.
DeSantis, in the interview, claimed that China, which the US believes is considering sending lethal aid to Russia, is a bigger threat.
"I don't think it's in our interest to be getting into proxy war with China, getting involved over things like the borderlands or over Crimea," he said.