Schumer swipes DeSantis as Russia prepares to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus: ‘Excusing Putin’

Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, took to Twitter on Monday to criticize Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis amid ongoing tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.

The Democrat mentioned DeSantis and different members of the “Arduous Proper” had been in charge for being “extra snug excusing Putin somewhat than condemning him.”

“This isn’t onerous: Putin is a menace to American nationwide safety and democracy,” Schumer wrote in a tweet that quoted DeSantis as beforehand referring to the Russia-Ukraine battle as a “territorial dispute.”

Schumer’s tweet got here after Putin introduced he can be transferring tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus by the summer season because the battle in Ukraine, which crossed the one-year milestone final month, continues. 

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DeSantis beforehand described ongoing combating within the japanese Donbas area as a regional battle and seemingly downplayed its significance to U.S. nationwide safety.

The Republican’s comment was made in a written response to Fox Information host Tucker Carlson, who despatched inquiries to declared and potential GOP presidential candidates.

​”Whereas the U.S. has many very important nationwide pursuits — securing our borders, addressing the disaster of readiness inside our army, reaching power safety and independence, and checking the financial, cultural, and army energy of the Chinese language Communist Get together — turning into additional entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia will not be one among them,” DeSantis wrote in his reply.

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The governor has since walked again the remark, following criticism by fellow Republicans and supporters, clarifying throughout an interview with Piers Morgan on Fox Nation that Russia didn’t have a proper to Ukraine and that he ought to have been “extra clear” in his preliminary reply.

“What I’m referring to is the place the combating is occurring now, which is that japanese border area Donbas, after which Crimea, and you’ve got a state of affairs the place Russia has had that. I don’t suppose legitimately, however they’d,” DeSantis mentioned throughout an interview that aired Thursday. “There’s numerous ethnic Russians there. So, that’s some troublesome combating, and that’s what I used to be referring to, and so it wasn’t that I assumed Russia had a proper to that, and so if I ought to have made that extra clear, I may have carried out it.”

Schumer’s tweet did not level out that DeSantis walked again the remark.

His tweet additionally didn’t level out the criticism he obtained from Republicans, who principally disagreed.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio instructed DeSantis was inexperienced with worldwide relations, saying he “doesn’t cope with international coverage every single day as governor.” 

“Overseas coverage is all about nuance,” he added.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina instructed Fox Information that DeSantis “is mainly taking the Chinese language place in relation to Russia’s invasion.”

Schumer’s tweet additionally doesn’t point out that Democrats are literally in command of the White Home and the U.S. Senate — and might affect international coverage whereas DeSantis can’t. 

Democrats had been additionally in command of the White Home and the U.S. Senate when Putin annexed Crimea in 2014. 

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When Republicans gained management of the White Home, beneath former President Donald Trump between 2016 and 2020, Putin didn’t invade Ukrainian territory. 

The Related Press contributed to this report.

This text was initially printed by foxnews.com. Learn the original article here.