Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky is back in the U.S. to drum up more support for his country’s defensive war against Russia. But while his previous visits have largely been standard fare for foreign dignitaries (apart from his refusal to wear anything but olive green), Republicans are rightly crying foul over this latest trip.
On Monday, Zelensky arrived in Pennsylvania, a hotly contested swing state, on a C-17 Globemaster funded by American taxpayers. What followed looked and sounded more like a campaign appearance than a diplomatic event, and onlookers wondered what the real purpose of the meeting was.
The day began with a visit to a weapons factory in Scranton to get positive press for Democrats, including Senator Bob Casey, who is currently engaged in a tough battle with Republican Dave McCormick. The Ukrainian president then continued with Garbage JD Vance and Donald Trump speaking to a reporter.
Zelensky is currently touring munitions factories in Pennsylvania and attacking President Trump and JD Vance in the American media.
A foreign head of state is campaigning for Harris practically on American soil. pic.twitter.com/580etLK72l
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) 23 September 2024
Donald Trump doesn’t know how to stop the war in Ukrainealthough he claimed he could end it on his first day as US president, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In his harshest criticism of the Republican presidential candidate to date, the Ukrainian president also described Trump’s running mate JD Vance as “dangerous” and “too radical”.
“His message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice,” Selenskyj said of Vance in a Interview with New York Magazine before he flew to the US this week to present his “victory plan” to the White House. “But I believe we have saved America from all-out war.”
(…)
“Whatever president or vice president raises this prospect that ending the war depends on cementing the status quo and Ukraine simply giving up its land should be held responsible for potentially starting a global war,” he said.
Frankly, while I’m a little more open-minded about the whole Ukraine thing than many on the right, I’m getting tired of Zelensky’s constant claims that he’s doing the Americans a huge favor by sending us hundreds of billions of dollars worth of weapons and aid. Ukrainians have the right to defend themselves against Russian aggression, but they’re not doing it to protect the United States. They’re doing it to protect themselves.
Ironically, the fact that the war is largely a stalemate shows that such rhetoric is nonsense. Vladimir Putin never intended to start a major war with NATO because he knew he would lose. The Russian military is largely antiquated, poorly trained, and even worse led. He invaded Ukraine under Joe Biden for the same reason he did under Barack Obama. Namely, to seize territories he sees as ethnically Russian. There is no larger plan for world domination, if only because such a plan would be impossible to implement.
Regardless, what Zelensky said and did on Monday is simply insane. He flew to the United States on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration to destroy its political opponents in a swing state.
Today, about 50 days before the presidential election, Zelensky is openly campaigning for the Democrats in the contested state of Pennsylvania.
Unreal.
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) 23 September 2024
I am venerable enough to remember that using taxpayer money to obtain purely partisan domestic policy benefits from Zelensky was considered an impeachable offense. https://t.co/MD2aaTQCnk
– Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) 23 September 2024
Is Zelensky going after Trump and Vance because the Democrats pressured him to do so in exchange for taxpayer-funded support? Unless someone spills the beans on what was said behind the scenes, we may never know, but it certainly looks like it. The appearance of impropriety is far-reaching, and the practicalities of using government resources to essentially have Zelensky campaign for the Democrats six weeks before a major election are highly inappropriate. I understand there will be no impeachment on this issue, but in an administration not riddled with corruption, there would be.
Finally, the question is whether this will backfire. Zelensky’s penchant for partisanship does nothing but further marginalize support for Ukraine. Coming to America and attacking half the country is foolish and counterproductive. His trip also makes the Democrats look like they are more interested in helping other nations than their own voters. Everything about it was misguided at best and highly corrupt at worst.
