In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, political debate in the United States was open to all. Democrats and some Republicans have joined President Biden in what was once considered a traditional show of unity in a crisis. Other Republicans have criticized Biden as weak and not tough enough on Russia. Perhaps most bizarrely, other Republicans, including Donald Trump, appeared to be sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Now the leaders of the Republican Party are trying to curb it.
Mike Pence will say on Friday that “there is no place for Putin apologists in this party,” according to excerpts from a speech the former vice president will give at the Republican National Committee retreat. The remarks could be aimed at Trump, who has called Putin “very savvy” and called his aggression “brilliant,” and this would be the second time in recent weeks that Pence has chided the former president and possible White House rival.
Other Republicans have tried to focus the party’s criticism of Biden by tying the crisis to gasoline prices, which have risen to a national average of nearly $4 a gallon.
Throughout the week, top Republican senators have been bashing Biden, criticizing the restrictions his administration has placed on oil and gas leases and the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline. On Friday, 25 Republican governors joined him in calling on Biden to “change his policies and restore America’s energy independence.”
“We can protect our national energy security and sell to our friends rather than buying from our enemies – especially from Russia,” the governors said in a statement. “People in our states can’t afford another gas station jump, and our allies can’t afford to be held hostage to Putin’s tyranny and aggression.”
While some aspects of Republican criticism crumble on closer inspection, a newly coordinated message unites the right after a tumultuous internal debate over Putin. And with inflation soaring, linking Biden’s actions in the war in Ukraine with his domestic problems could be a powerful argument for voters in the fall.
This could help Republicans return to power next year. The danger, according to foreign policy experts, is that a war in the heart of Europe with huge geopolitical consequences could turn into another partisan squabble.
“It’s like foreign policy is a blank screen onto which we project all of our internal divisions,” said Brian Katoulis, co-editor of The Liberal Patriot, a national security policy website. “As if Ukrainians are just props in our own political history.”
Oil and gas controversy
Publicly and privately, former Trump administration officials have advised Republicans in Washington. During a closed-door meeting of several dozen House conservatives this week, Robert O’Brien, a former national security adviser, took questions for an hour urging lawmakers to support more aggressive measures against Russia.
According to many Republican aides, one factor of concern was the voice of Ukrainians themselves.
“Oil prices are skyrocketing and Russia is oddly benefiting from its own invasion,” Ukrainian MP Marian Zablotsky told us. “Their government should be stripped of all revenue.”
By focusing on Russian oil, Republicans are deepening the Democrat divide. The White House opposes a ban on Russian oil and gas imports to the US, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was “all in favor.” Deny.”
Seven Democrats support a new energy sanctions bill being promoted by Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. But leading Democrats, notably Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the powerful chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Majority Leader, have yet to sign.
Republicans are threatening to pass legislation next week if Schumer doesn’t relent.
He may have little choice. Other influential Democrats have pledged their support. “I just hate the idea that we are dependent on Russian gas and oil,” Illinois Senator Richard Durbin told CNN Thursday. On Friday, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia called for a ban, his office said.
The Case for Additional Sanctions
Republicans are pushing for even more aggressive moves, such as so-called secondary sanctions on foreign entities doing business with Russia, in addition to cutting off the Kremlin’s sources of hard currency from the sale of goods. And they are calling for a tough defense of Ukraine, even as administration officials express pessimism about Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russian onslaught.
In a speech Friday, Pence is expected to call on Biden to “impose sanctions on all financial institutions in Russia.”
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March 4, 2022 7:00 pm ET
The idea behind such sanctions, as Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said last week, is “to force the world to choose between doing business with Russia or the United States.”
“We’re a little late in this game,” said Rich Goldberg, a former director of the Trump National Security Council and a leading architect of the Iran sanctions effort as a longtime congressional aide. “Every hour lost is time we’ll never get back.”
Biden Defense
Biden administration officials say they were aggressive and point to a series of unprecedented steps taken by the US and its allies in a matter of days.
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, Western countries have unleashed a long list of fines and restrictions on Russia. They hit the Russian economy and punished its currency, the ruble. They banned Russia from importing key technologies. They even go after the yachts of businessmen from Putin’s entourage.
“We guarantee that this war of choice will be a strategic failure for Vladimir Putin,” said a senior administration official not authorized to speak on the record.
White House officials liken the sanctions to a boa constrictor strangling the Russian economy, with pressure mounting in response to the Kremlin’s escalation.
“They are not designed for maximum use at first,” said Jen Psaki, a White House press secretary. “They’re durable and stable, and they’re built to compress.”
The administration has refrained from taking some steps to increase pressure on Moscow if necessary, but has so far resisted oil and gas sanctions.
Russian-Ukrainian war: what you need to know
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Russian conquests in the south. After taking control of Kherson and cutting off the city of Mariupol, Russian troops pushed deep into southern Ukraine, landing at the port of Nikolaev, just 60 miles from Odessa, a vital shipping center and the largest city in the south.
“Obviously there are areas where we can achieve even more influence,” said a senior administration official. “All options are on the table.”
The problem facing the White House, current and former officials say, is timing. How long can Ukraine hold out? Can sanctions affect Putin’s calculations quickly enough, if at all, to make a difference on the battlefield? And how can the administration juggle all of this in the middle of an election campaign when consumer prices are rising at the fastest rate in 40 years?
“Look, there is still a reasonable chance that there will be a bank run next Wednesday and the entire Russian economy will collapse,” said Brian O’Toole, a former Treasury Department official. “But the pace of the sanctions is not as fast as the pace of the war.”
What to read
Moment of the State of the Union
Politics regularly features the work of Times photographers. Here’s what Sarabeth Mani told us about shooting the image above:
“This was my first time photographing a Union State, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew to keep an eye out for the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, and the special guests sitting in her area.
When I leaned over the balcony to see the guests, the first person I noticed was 13-year-old Joshua Davis. He stood out for me because he was the only child among adults. My first thought was, “Wow, this guy is really brave – especially for sitting between the first lady and the second gentleman.”
I took this photo during President Biden’s speech when he announced that it was Joshua’s birthday the day before, affectionately calling him “buddy.” He continued his speech by saying, “For Joshua and 200,000 other young people with type 1 diabetes, let’s cap insulin at $35 a month so everyone can afford it.”
I think the emotion on everyone’s faces and the first lady’s outstretched hand reaching out to hug Joshua shows how memorable this day will be for him.”
Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.
— Blake and Leah
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