Newsmax has long been a supporter of U.S. actions in helping Ukraine against Russia’s invasion — but it has let a few criticisms of the operation get published as Donald Trump, Newsmax’s preferred candidate, has expressed little interest in helping Ukraine and much interest in appeasing Vladimir Putin to the point of letting Russia take over the country. For instance, an April 22 column by Fred Fleitz complained:
Former Congressman Jack Kingston was right when he said on Newsmax TV (on Sunday) that a controversial bill in the House of Representatives to approve $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine was a necessary vote.
This was not a major win for democracy.
It was only a minor win for Biden and Ukraine.
It was not a loss for the Republicans or Donald Trump.
What this really amounted was a vote to prevent Ukraine from losing to Russia — at least for now.
[…]I therefore believe Congress should approve the military aid Ukraine needs to defend itself in 2024 so Donald Trump, if he wins the Oval Office back in November, he can end the war when he assumes the presidency in January, 2025.
Robert Orlando spent a May 30 column trying to blame the war on Biden instead of the Russian invaders:
One could argue that Russia was justified in concerning itself with its immediate border (1,426.07 miles) and geopolitical survival, much like the U.S. during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
The West’s meddling in Ukrainian affairs, epitomized by Hillary Clinton’s role in the Orange Revolution (demonstrations and other events occuring from November 2004, to Jan. 2005), only stoked tension and ignited Russia’s ire.
Western powers, spearheaded by the United States, unabashedly supported opposition movements in Ukraine, sowing discord and exacerbating geopolitical rivalries.
Biden’s blunder, as the face of blind interests, has shown an unwillingness to lead through strength or realist wisdom, such as using triangulation of power to keep Russia out of China’s hands.
Instead, he doubled down on bringing Ukraine into NATO in 2021, leading to Putin’s invasion. In doing so, he has also stretched America’s strategic focus and weakened its position in a more critical theater.
One could argue that Russia’s invasion proved the need for Ukraine to align with NATO (which Orlando doesn’t seem to understand is a defensive alliance).
After Trump’s victory in the election, Newsmax seemed to be adding more pro-Russia, anti-Ukraine voices. A Nov. 18 article by Solange Reyner transcribed a rant by Trump’s son:
The Biden administration is trying to cause World War III by authorizing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, Donald Trump, Jr. said.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,” Trump Jr. posted on X.
“Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be dammed!!! Imbeciles!”
Biden’s decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army tactical missile system, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine’s northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of square miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces.
Biden’s move also follows the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the United States’ military support for Ukraine.
Fleitz returned for a Nov. 18 column decrying continued U.S. support for Ukraine:
In a major policy reversal, U.S. President Joe Biden decided over the weekend to allow Ukraine to fire U.S.-supplied short-range missiles deep into Russian territory, a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in September would put Russia at war with the United States.
Biden’s move likely will complicate President-elect Trump’s determination to quickly end the war.
Former CIA operations officer Charles Sam Faddis described Biden’s decision as “lighting the fuse on World War III and walking out the door.”
Biden’s decision will allow Ukraine to attack targets in Russia with the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM), a short-range tactical ballistic missile with a maximum range of 180 miles.
The UK and France reportedly may respond to Biden’s decision by allowing Ukraine to fire their longer-range missiles into Russia.
[…]If Biden was truly interested in ending the war in Ukraine and helping bring about a cease-fire, he should be pressing both parties to de-escalate instead of giving one party the green light to step up its attacks.
Biden also should be supporting President-elect Trump’s call to stop the killing in Ukraine and implement a cease-fire as soon as possible.
Of course, Fleitz uses this to build up Trump:
I’m concerned the real reason that Biden agreed to let Ukraine start firing U.S. missiles deep into Russia was because he opposes Trump’s Ukraine peace efforts and is trying to sabotage them.
This would be consistent with Biden’s disastrous approach to the Ukraine War of arming Ukraine for “as long as it takes” to evict Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory, even though this conflict has become a war of attrition that Ukraine is certain to lose. Biden has never shown any interest in a peace agreement or cease-fire that falls short of this goal.
My hope is that Ukrainian and Russian leaders will ignore this feckless 11th-hour foreign policy decision by President Biden and prepare for strong and principled global leadership by President Donald Trump who has promised to begin a fair process to end the war in Ukraine quickly.
Fleitz thinks Trump is “principled”? Really? He’s not very observant. Also note that he apparently holds Russia harmless for instigating and escalating the war.