According to a report by The Guardian in the UK on October 20, some American Republicans have begun openly opposing U.S. President Donald Trump's softening stance towards Russia. They are also threatening to withdraw financial support for his agenda, in protest of his 'embarrassing' handling of the Ukraine war issue.
Nebraska’s retiring congressman Don Bacon condemned Trump’s actions as “absolutely shameful” – including his shocking agreement to purchase Russian diesel and the suspension of sanctions against Moscow. He also accused the U.S. President of being close to “war criminal” Vladimir Putin.
"This is absolutely shameful, and Republicans with whom I have been interacting are utterly unbearable," said Bacon on Monday to CNN. "I believe that the President's influence in this current Congress has completely vanished."
Last week, Trump exempted Russia from sanctions imposed under a law named after his long-time ally, the late Senator Lindsey Graham. This law was intended to increase financial pressure on Russia, and Trump only signed this law last month.
However, Trump recently announced that he had reached an agreement with Putin to import diesel fuel—diesel fuel which has become more expensive for Americans due to Trump's war with Iran. Trump had previously accused Ukraine of targeting Russia in this matter.
Last weekend, Trump claimed that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy “doesn’t care” about the impact of Ukraine’s strikes against Russia. He said Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to end this war, and may never have wanted to,” because Ukraine is receiving financial support from Europe. On Monday, Trump also suggested that Zelenskyy should step down, saying “it’s time to let someone else negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.”
In an interview with Bloomberg, Zelenskyy said he believed Trump was taking measures to “persuade Ukraine to surrender to Russian demands”. On social media, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s partnership with the United States. He also accused the U.S. government of hiding information about the Russian missile attack on the evening of the 19th, which is the third such accusation.
Lindsay Graham’s sister, Darlene Graham, who is currently a senator from South Carolina, publicly broke with the president over the weekend. On Saturday, she told reporters, “Personally, I would choose to pressure Russia to end the war and lower gasoline prices, because I don’t trust Putin, nor do I trust Russia.” Former Republican senator and presidential candidate Mitt Romney also wrote on social media that if the United States abandons Ukraine, it will also “abandon freedom.”
Pennsylvania Congressman Bryan Fitzgerald told MS Now on Monday that the Trump administration did not provide a "full response" regarding the recent disruptions in Ukraine’s "Star Shield" system and the diesel transactions.
This is utterly unacceptable and it can't be ignored, said FitzPatrick. "It will have consequences. By the way, this isn’t just about the 'Star Shield,' there's also the diesel trade and removing sanctions. All of it," FitzPatrick stated. He added that members of parliament would "demand accountability" and may even take "punitive budget actions" to force the government to respond.
