Left-wing blames “expansionist, imperialist” NATO for conflict, while right-wing says Biden’s foreign policy bungles emboldened Putin.
By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News
Critics and pundits across the political spectrum blamed American policy for the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, albeit for very different reasons.
The far-left Democratic Socalists of America (DSA), who count progressive lawmakers Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) among their members, placed responsibility for Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor on the U.S.
“DSA reaffirms our call for the U.S. to withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict,” the group said in a statement.
“While the failures of neoliberal order are clear to everyone, the ruling class is trying to build a new world, through a dystopic transition grounded in militarism, imperialism, and war. Socialists have a duty to build an alternative.”
The statement concluded by calling for “no war but class war,” suggesting that the working classes unite against their middle- and upper-class oppressors.
Meanwhile, right-wing lawmakers from the Republican party blamed the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan as setting the stage for the Russian invasion, charging that President Joe Biden’s bungled foreign policy decisions have made the U.S. look weak on the world stage.
Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have dared to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine “had we not precipitously withdrawn from Afghanistan,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said during a media conference last week.
In a joint statement, Republican politicians including Reps. Kevin McCarthy (CA) and Steve Scalise (LA) said that Biden bears much of the blame for the current crisis due to a soft approach on curbing Putin’s military ambitions.
“Sadly, President Biden consistently chose appeasement and his tough talk on Russia was never followed by strong action,” the statement read.
However, not all Republicans agree that the U.S should get involved further with resolving the military conflict.
“Sending new troops, expanding the security commitment, and expanding NATO — I just think that’s a strategic mistake,” Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told Politico.