Congress Must Investigate Trump’s Aid and Comfort to Putin

National Review ^ | September 17, 2026 | Andrew McCarthy

[nathanbedford]

Russia is a pillar of an anti-American axis led by China and joined by Iran and North Korea — the trio providing Putin with the economic backstop, materiel, and manpower he desperately needs. In 2022, Putin and China’s Xi Jinping issued a joint statement of cooperation that bluntly challenged the United States and NATO. The Russian regime is actively abetting Iran’s military operations against the United States, providing intelligence for targeted attacks on U.S. personnel, as well as drone weaponry (which Iran initially designed but Russia can produce at scale). That is to say: While Trump embraces Putin, Putin aids and abets the “Death to America” regime...

And President Donald Trump is giving him aid and comfort...

Too many dark signs point in the direction of an American administration — at the very moment it was seeking Ukraine’s capitulation and threatening to leave it defenseless by denying intelligence — taking conscious action that left Ukraine exposed to an intense attack, which Russia just happens to have conducted right at the perfect time...

This is dark. It demands answers. Now.

---

TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; War
KEYWORDS: andrewmccarthy; mccarthy; nationalreview; nevertrumpers; severetds

[nathanbedford]

When Andy McCarthy consciously uses words defining treason in our Constitution, although without expressly identifying Trump's behavior as treasonous, conservatives with a sense of decency and respect for our historic mission as a nation should take notice.

[personalaccts]

Yet Europe spends $200 billion on energy from Russia

[ComputerGuy]

Of Putin:

And President Donald Trump is giving him aid and comfort.

[DeplorablePaul]

Increasing the supply of diesel is a MAGA thing to do.

[DeplorablePaul]

Increasing the supply of diesel is a MAGA thing to do.

[OttawaFreeper]

I guess the EU should immediately give Zelensky 70 billion of their bucks to him, lol.

[nathanbedford]

Why do you plant rubbish on the Internet to be read forever and ever when it is so easy to look at Claude, AI:

Based on the latest data, the EU is paying Russia roughly €1.5-2.5 billion a month for energy, which comes to about €20-25 billion a year. That is far below the pre-2022 level, but the figure is still falling and varies from month to month.

Monthly CREA estimates: The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) put EU purchases of Russian fossil fuels at approximately 2.3 billion euros in May 2026. The five largest EU buyers alone paid a combined €1.3 billion in July 2026, so the total EU figure for July was higher.

Russia's own figure: Russian Deputy PM Alexander Novak said European purchases reached about $21.3 billion (roughly €19 billion) over the first nine months of 2026. That is a Russian official claim, and it works out to a similar annual pace of about €25 billion. connaissancedesenergies

LNG in 2025: The EU spent around €7.4 billion on Russian LNG in 2025.

What the money buys: In May, 42% of EU imports of Russian fossil fuels were LNG, 30% crude oil and 28% pipeline gas. Hungary and Slovakia remain the biggest importers, mainly through the Druzhba oil pipeline, which has an exemption from the EU sanctions package, and through gas pipelines. connaissancedesenergies

Where it's heading: EU regulation 2026/261 provides for phasing out Russian LNG by 31 December 2026 and pipeline gas by 30 September 2027. Short-term LNG contracts were already banned in April 2026. CREA has also pointed to loopholes, such as shipments of oil products from refineries that process Russian crude.

connaissancedesenergies

These numbers cover the EU only. If you mean "Europe" more broadly, Turkey is a separate and larger buyer. It imported about €2.8 billion of Russian fossil fuels in May alone.

[nathanbedford]

Why do you plant rubbish on the Internet to be read forever and ever when it is so easy to look at Claude, AI:

Based on the latest data, the EU is paying Russia roughly €1.5-2.5 billion a month for energy, which comes to about €20-25 billion a year. That is far below the pre-2022 level, but the figure is still falling and varies from month to month.

Monthly CREA estimates: The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) put EU purchases of Russian fossil fuels at approximately 2.3 billion euros in May 2026. The five largest EU buyers alone paid a combined €1.3 billion in July 2026, so the total EU figure for July was higher.

Russia's own figure: Russian Deputy PM Alexander Novak said European purchases reached about $21.3 billion (roughly €19 billion) over the first nine months of 2026. That is a Russian official claim, and it works out to a similar annual pace of about €25 billion. connaissancedesenergies

LNG in 2025: The EU spent around €7.4 billion on Russian LNG in 2025.

What the money buys: In May, 42% of EU imports of Russian fossil fuels were LNG, 30% crude oil and 28% pipeline gas. Hungary and Slovakia remain the biggest importers, mainly through the Druzhba oil pipeline, which has an exemption from the EU sanctions package, and through gas pipelines. connaissancedesenergies

Where it's heading: EU regulation 2026/261 provides for phasing out Russian LNG by 31 December 2026 and pipeline gas by 30 September 2027. Short-term LNG contracts were already banned in April 2026. CREA has also pointed to loopholes, such as shipments of oil products from refineries that process Russian crude.

connaissancedesenergies

These numbers cover the EU only. If you mean "Europe" more broadly, Turkey is a separate and larger buyer. It imported about €2.8 billion of Russian fossil fuels in May alone.

[Ann Archy]

Andy is getting too big for his britches.

[Williams]

Russia Hoax II

[nathanbedford]

I guess the EU should immediately give Zelensky 70 billion of their bucks to him, lol.

The perfect reply to your odd musing was available for your reading in the main body of the commentary by Andrew McCarthy:

"Americans should thus be gratified by the Ukrainian war effort. Most who are paying attention probably are. Trump claims to want peace, but his fine print consistently spells out Russia’s terms. Regardless of the president’s personal interest, the vital American interest stems from Russia’s being America’s enemy, quite apart from being Ukraine’s enemy. Mindful of all our defense obligations, we should vigorously support Ukraine’s war effort for as long as Ukraine is willing to fight. For what is a relative bargain — about $127 billion in direct aid over four years (Trump’s claim that the U.S. has provided $350 billion is absurd) — Ukraine is hollowing out the armed forces and diminishing the war machine of our incorrigible geopolitical adversary"

[MMusson]

You whipped out those Talking Points like a pro.

[FlipWilson]

Trump and his DOJ must actively investigate who in Congress is profiting from the never ending aid to Ukraine.

I have a feeling the corruption isn’t in the White House.

https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAES3QEB6zswFa_noVFaIhGVOWvp9rYraDccXP6Wdg_c32A36T1oO6GNNdkBoGLCNQVk30LyH2LKjwP878cEo9ebwsFw8z40jjcuX3lwX6YuhT6iI790TffNI-z_azR3JCG1wen9b9sTlLqEEiJAHb6-fRurt9CLbZU1HaZtsYYfkMiegLwgsWsivqyb1SwyJK499UAlYVXkY0lvAqD5046GeY0ghnjy7S6RmmaYHouxVVMyh-D-GoU60JnRNOYE6zu79fJfgBAjwAXbiP9y0CeSFzS6O3x9H1COI5FpT7F38Q

https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESngEB6zswFcxQG4PUHhIZk-PzwxhJQ37xNQYI82Z1iAsgj2bVTzguFNW-zqXCiiIbS4YOMxzmYDNAIVxPvNQuAllfvEJFMSOzIK961PJLFluZhZK01AKZiGx-Yvq7Csj_t7zEfOFu9_uo2W7rpgDIk-7gVeA3mvxHFJ1muy4yz6itjcq_Hn6wpSAAh9zQfWpXAZlFLTPdJLpSgb2jEytpcQ

https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESowEB6zswFXki-6VRlR1vOG2bVOJF2JpQaMm2AdpquD8c12d62ykc9PlZyhWBy7yg1IbVK_iuMuaDd5b1l8Fhr6H6bpgPtvdKsH8leNjljf7Q0ljLLnInaRx_m8i4DMXA7rr0EBABVEzj_TpUt2kONFfC4dsixQypViPRFG-EPukh3elEp9UZjnD3H0jXkYQ19vPhbU3SGN6iHo7hVNBmLg2S2vCs

[nathanbedford]

Russia Hoax II

One need look only at the documents and Donald Trump's own statements to understand that it is Donald Trump who is lying and the true perpetrator of a very "dark" hoax.

[nathanbedford]

Russia Hoax II

One need look only at the documents and Donald Trump's own statements to understand that it is Donald Trump who is lying and the true perpetrator of a very "dark" hoax.

[nathanbedford]

Increasing the supply of diesel is a MAGA thing to do.

I suppose Trump could mismanage another war with Iran; that is a MAGA thing to do, but it will hardly increase the supply of diesel.

Indeed it is this mismanaged MAGA war in Iran that brought on the diesel fuel shortage and explains why Trump is very unconvincingly trying to blame Ukraine for it.

[jacknhoo]

Andrew McCarthy — NeverTrump National Review — Karl Rove is proud.

[Williams]

Horsecrap. Ukraine has done fine under Trump and was never forced to sign a piece deal. Russia is stalled or losing ground and weapons have been flowing to Ukraine.

This is all a Russia hoax for the midterms. Ukraine could have cooperated for a few months and not bombed Russian fuel during an oil shortage.

Trump had been placing tougher and tougher sanctions on Russia in an effort to force a peace deal.

Zelensky and the leftist Europeans are running everywhere attacking Trump in an open effort to elect democrats.

F Ukraine. And that comes from a Ukraine supporter.

[Yardstick]

I used to like reading Andy McCarthy but I no longer care about what the National Review crowd thinks. Their strain of conservatism doesn’t fit the facts anymore.

My guess is that McCarthy has buckled under the TDS pressure of his social group. I also suspect he has a permanent Cold War imprint that keeps him from seeing things clearly.

He just doesn’t have good instincts anymore.

[nathanbedford]

You whipped out those Talking Points like a pro.

To the contrary, I researched and advanced facts to refute spurious talking points, and made clear that that's what I was doing.