On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) aligned himself with former President Donald Trump in expressing opposition to the Biden administration’s proposal to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine.
In a conversation with New England-based talk show host Howie Carr, DeSantis affirmed his decision not to support providing security assistance to Ukraine through the use of unpredictable cluster bombs. He expressed concerns that such a move could potentially escalate the ongoing conflict.
DeSantis said, “I think that right now, you have an open-ended blank check. There’s no clear objective for victory. And this is kind of dragging on and on. I think it probably runs a risk of escalation.”
He continued. “Basically, what I said from the beginning is no weapons that could lead to attacks inside Russia or escalate the conflict. We cannot become involved in this directly.”
A day prior to DeSantis’s remarks, former President Trump criticized the Biden administration’s choice to supply the munitions, highlighting the potential dangers they pose to civilians. Trump expressed concern over the dispersal of submunitions that could remain dormant and pose a risk to innocent individuals.
Trump said, “Joe Biden should not be dragging us further toward World War III by sending cluster munitions to Ukraine — he should be trying to END the war and stop the horrific death and destruction being caused by an incompetent administration.”
Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024, stood by the decision, characterizing it as a “very difficult decision” and citing the depleting ammunition reserves of the Ukrainian forces as a contributing factor.
DeSantis, who has emerged as a prominent Republican contender in polls following Trump, voiced concerns that supplying weapons to Ukraine might deplete our own stockpiles, potentially hindering our ability to respond to urgent situations elsewhere in the world.
Holy Crap!
WH says they have to give cluster bombs to UKR
Because
We already gave them all our normal artillery shellsAwful on every level
SAY NO to #WWIII pic.twitter.com/KpBibsL14l— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) July 7, 2023
After attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Biden concluded his negotiations with United States allies. The discussions primarily focused on Ukraine, highlighting its significance as a key topic during the summit.
During discussions on Wednesday, key member nations of the alliance reached an agreement to engage in negotiations for long-term bilateral security commitments aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s land, sea and air defenses. The objective is to enhance Ukraine’s capabilities and deter potential future attacks from Russia.
