Blinken warns Russia on aggression against Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia
that “new” military aggression against Ukraine would be a mistake. Blinken made
the statement at a press conference with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in
Washington on Nov. 10. The New York Times quotes Blinken as saying, “We don’t
have clarity into Moscow’s intentions, but we do know its playbook.” Blinken
also told reporters that America’s support for Ukraine was “ironclad”.

Kuleba was in Washington to discuss three topics, he
told reporters. These were the military buildup in Russia, the nearby
Belarusian fomenting of the refugee problem on the Polish border, and the
threat posed by Nord Stream II.

Also on Nov. 10, conservative commentator Tucker
Carlson debated Representative Mike Turner (R-OH) on American policy regarding
Ukraine and Russia, asking, “Why aren’t we on Russia’s side?” Carlson proposed
that because the U.S. needed a counterpart in its struggle against China,
Russia, as the stronger party, would make for a better ally.

James Hydzik: Blinken’s
statement about “ironclad” support can be taken at face value, and bi-partisan
support in Congress is also strong. However, the threat to U.S. – Ukraine
relations posed by isolationists such as Carlson should not be dismissed.
Pro-Russian sentiment among Republicans has grown over the last 10 years, and
Turner’s “Ukraine is a democracy, and we need to support it,” response cannot
be guaranteed to carry the argument in Ukraine’s favor.