Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is placing some blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Republicans.
On Thursday, Vindman re-tweeted a statement from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the House Republican Conference chairwoman, where she blamed the attack on President Joe Biden’s foreign policy.
“Putin is responsible for this war, but you deserve a great deal of responsibility for it,” Vindman wrote.
He added, “It is your vile attacks on our democracy, that suggested to Putin he can conduct this war. Your actions suggested that the U.S. was weak and distracted.”
Putin is responsible for this war, but you deserve a great deal of responsibility for it. It is your vile attacks on our democracy, that suggested to Putin he can conduct this war. Your actions suggested that the U.S. was weak and distracted. #GOPownsthis https://t.co/1cXlBPskFI
— Alexander S. Vindman ❎ (@AVindman) February 24, 2022
Stefanik said in her statement, “After just one year of a weak, feckless, and unfit President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, the world is less safe. Rather than peace through strength, we are witnessing Joe Biden’s foreign policy of war through weakness.”
“For the past year, our adversaries around the world have been assessing and measuring Joe Biden’s leadership on the world stage, and he has abysmally failed on every metric. From kinetic and deadly attacks on our allies and partners, to the catastrophic withdrawal and surrender in Afghanistan, to the cyber attacks impeding American industry and infrastructure, to today’s Russian invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden and his Administration have failed America and the world,” she added.
President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday night that Russia would conduct a military operation in eastern Ukraine with the goal of demilitarizing the country. Putin claims he is fighting neo-Nazism in Ukraine, but there is no evidence that there is widespread support for such views in that country.
Despite his assertion that the military activity would take place in the eastern portions of the country, strikes have been conducted in western parts of the country.
U.S. officials estimate the invasion will lead to 50,000 injuries or deaths.
Vindman served as the National Security Council’s (NSC) top Ukraine expert until he was removed from that position following his testimony during the House’s 2019 impeachment hearings into then-President Donald Trump.
In his testimony, Vindman said that Trump’s alleged efforts to pressure Ukrainian officials to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden was improper.