Free Republic

U.S. defense leaders fawned over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday during his visit to the Pentagon’s National Defense University (NDU), as he pitched for more U.S. taxpayer aid to Ukraine. NDU President Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Todd Plehn, praised Zelensky, calling it “indeed a high honor” to welcome Zelensky to the university. “It is fitting that today’s address takes place at NDU, where we prepare the next cohort of national security leaders to understand and overcome current and future national security challenges in defense of our freedom and way of life,” he said.

Chinese state media on Monday gushed over visiting Governor Gavin Newsom of California, praising the “sincere and warm” Democrat for his “deep connection” with China and hoping his week-long trip would “play a positive role for bilateral ties.” Newsom’s deep ties with the Chinese Communist government included sending his lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s massive effort to spread its political influence across the developing world, and even into Europe, by persuading client states to take out gigantic loans from Chinese...