Rubio pushes back on DeSantis remarks: Russia-Ukraine war ‘not a territorial dispute’

The Hill ^ | 03/14/2023 | OLAFIMIHAN OSHIN

[ChicagoConservative27]

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Tuesday that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is not a “territorial dispute,” pushing back against remarks made by his home state Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on the matter.

In a questionnaire sent out by Fox News personality Tucker Carlson to potential 2024 presidential candidates, DeSantis said “becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia” was not among the United States’ “vital national interests.”

During an appearance on the “Hugh Hewitt Show” on Tuesday, Rubio was asked about those remarks from DeSantis.

“Well, it’s not a territorial dispute in the sense that any more than it would be a territorial dispute if the United States decided that it wanted to invade Canada or take over the Bahamas,” Rubio told Hewitt during Tuesday’s episode. “Just because someone claims something doesn’t mean it belongs to them.”

[Kenny500c]

Rubio has a bunch of rich donors in Miami he has to cater to.

So what?

[Glad2bnuts]

If the US were invading the Bahamas, they are a holding of the British Empire. It would be totally different. Ukraine v Russia is a dispute about borders. Nato is building a iron curtain around Russia, and moving it ever closer to Russian territory.

It is simply a dispute over territory, isn’t that what a territorial dispute is? It is like Mexico invading the US, it is a territorial dispute that our country does nothing about.

[Glad2bnuts]

His ears look huge even when he is small...lol

[Paul R.]

I’ll give DeSantis a slight “out” regarding “further entanglement” depending on what he means by “further entanglement”.

If he means “don’t send troops into battle unless a NATO member or Finland or Sweden is attacked”, I’m ok with that limitation. Ditto for large missiles that could hit Moscow.

If he means “send no more aid” he’s just guaranteed a collapse of NATO, a Chinese move on Taiwan, a massive arms race in Europe and an eventual major nuclear war that may well not be started by Russia.

[Firehath]

planting

the gay - diversity

marxist commie religion

supremacy flag

is basically what

this jihad - crusade - war

is all about

dnc - international socialism - nazis

[Clutch Martin]

Um.... the Slavs and the Rus have been at each other’s throats since before the Middle Ages... this is hardly something new.

And anyone who doesn’t think that this centuries old blood feud has nothing to do with all of this butchery, carnage, and mass murder, is a fool.

[AndyTheBear]

“Just because someone claims something doesn’t mean it belongs to them.”

Yeah, and when somebody else disputes the claim, then...well...we have a dispute. If the thing is territory then we have a territorial dispute.

[familyop]

"I’ll give DeSantis a slight 'out' regarding 'further entanglement' depending on what he means by 'further entanglement'.

If he means “don’t send troops into battle unless a NATO member or Finland or Sweden is attacked”, I’m ok with that limitation. Ditto for large missiles that could hit Moscow.

If he means 'send no more aid' he’s just guaranteed a collapse of NATO, a Chinese move on Taiwan, a massive arms race in Europe and an eventual major nuclear war that may well not be started by Russia."

Fully agreed.

But no one is wanting to send NATO troops to fight in Ukraine. It's all about sending weapons to Ukraine, so that we can avoid direct involvement with NATO soldiers in the near future.

Something else I've noticed while getting news from Russia. Russian government propaganda has been directing more hatred against Poland for some time.

[Boogieman]

Rubio’s right on this one. Russia gave up any claims it had on Ukrainian territory by act of Russian parliament back in the 90s. So there’s no “territorial dispute” happening there. Just a plain old land grab.

[Boogieman]

“It is simply a dispute over territory, isn’t that what a territorial dispute is?”

Not quite. A “territorial dispute” implies that both parties have a claim on the same land, whether that claim is legitimate or not. Russia voluntarily gave up all its claims on Ukrainian territory 30-some years ago, so there is no “territorial dispute” going on here.

[Cronos]

Russians and Ukrainians are fighting over Ukraine

[Sunsong]

Thanks gleeaikin

[NWFree]

Marco admits it’s really an endless proxy war and laundry mat

[BroJoeK]

katana: "It most certainly can be called a territorial dispute."

Nonsense. The US today has several border disputes with Canada and neither country intends to invade the other over them.

The US did fight a war against Great Britain, in 1859, over the US-Canada border dispute in the San Juan Islands, between Washington state and Canadian Vancouver.
It was called the Pig War, partly because a stray pig triggered it and turned out to be the war's only casualty.
In the end, the German Emperor, Wilhelm I, arbitrated a settlement that both the Brits and Americans accepted.

Those are real border disputes.

What Putin is doing in Ukraine is trying to restore the old Russian Empire through military conquest.
That is a very different matter.

katana: "DeSantis’ remarks were exactly on target."

I would totally trust Pres. Trump to negotiate a war ending deal between Russia and Ukraine.
I can't think of anyone else who could do it.

[BroJoeK]

"What about Federal Income Tax, Marco?"

That would be the 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913.

Did you forget?

[BroJoeK]

FreeReign: "It's an invasion.
Doesn't mean that we should be involved in it.
We have more important things right now to take care of, for example our border."

We should oppose Russian imperial ambitions for the same reason we contained Soviet expansionism in the Cold War -- because, by their nature, empires feed off their conquered territories.
When one "meal" is finished, then they are hungry for the next, and so on.
If empires are contained, as we did in the Cold War, they are forced to feed off themselves and so weaken and collapse.

A Russian victory in Ukraine will increase Russia's population and economy by roughly 1/3, making their next victims that much easier to gobble up.

It's not a trivial matter of "border dispute".

FreeReign: "We can't afford to be involved in Ukraine."

No domestic political problem is being made worse by our aid to Ukraine, and no extra money is required to solve them.
The only thing our political problems need is the political will to face and correct them.
It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of voters.

[BroJoeK]

gleeaikin: "Have you forgotten we were directly involved in persuading Ukraine to return all the nukes in its territory to Russia saying we would defend them for doing so."

That was the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, signed by the US, UK and Russia, among others.

[BroJoeK]

dfwgator: "Did the Senate ever approve this “Commitment”?"

Our Pres. Slick signed it but did not submit it to Congress for approval.
In US law it's the equivalent of an executive order, which was never revoked.

In international law, it's a treaty for all practical purposes.

A US failure to honor its commitments in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum will negatively impact every US foreign commitment.

[dfwgator]

Well, Gee, Thank you, Bill Clinton. Ironic a draft-dodger got us into this mess.

[hcmama]

Prediction: By the end of December, squishes like Rubio and Cornyn will be embracing the DeSantis stance on Ukraine.