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Zelensky pushes the limits of American willpower
The most pointed message in Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress this morning was aimed not at the assembled lawmakers, but Joe Biden. “You are the leader of the nation, I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” he said. The wartime leader received a standing ovation when he concluded his remarks.
“Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its overwhelming support,” Zelensky said. “I call on you to do more.”
It’s hard not to be moved by Zelensky’s appeal for more support, even if acceding to his plea for a no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean an ill-advised escalation in the confrontation between Russia and the West. While Zelensky called for this drastic action — a request you can appreciate given that he is fighting for nothing less than the survival of his nation — he appears to understand it is a political nonstarter in Washington and in European capitals.
“Is this too much to ask?” he said of the measure. Seemingly aware that he knew the answer was yes, he added: “If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative… You know what kind of defense systems we need… You know how much depends on the battlefield on the ability to use aircraft — powerful, strong aviation — to protect our people, our freedom, our land. Aircraft that can help Ukraine, help Europe.”
Zelensky tailored his message to his audience, invoking US history in his pitch to Congress: Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Mount Rushmore and Martin Luther King Jr. “We need you right now,” he pleaded. Will the speech, the latest in a series of addresses by Zelensky to Western legislative bodies, change anything? His core request for a no-fly zone certainly still seems lightyears away from being politically viable, and the Biden administration shows no sign of being willing to contemplate such a move. But Zelensky’s forceful approach will surely embolden those in Washington who want the president to go further, faster on other fronts.
When it comes to measures less severe than a no-fly zone, Zelensky has always found a receptive audience on the Hill. Ukrainian calls for America to do more to help in the fight against Russia have generally been a two-step process: an effective Ukrainian lobbying effort with lawmakers that then forces the White House to act. That was the case with the embargo on Russian oil, for example.
But that dynamic has its limits too. The world’s largest military may be nowhere near the limits of its capacity to help Ukraine. But, as Zelensky seems to realize, military power and political will are not the same thing.
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Trump changes tack on Putin
Donald Trump says he was “surprised” by Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. In an interview with the Washington Examiner’s senior political correspondent David M. Drucker, the former president said he “thought [Putin] was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating… I thought it was a tough way to negotiate but a smart way to negotiate.”
Trump continued: “I figured he was going to make a good deal like everybody else does with the United States and the other people they tend to deal with — you know, like every trade deal. We’ve never made a good trade deal until I came along… And then he went in — and I think he’s changed. I think he’s changed. It’s a very sad thing for the world. He’s very much changed.”
Throughout the crisis, the former president has simultaneously insisted the invasion would not have happened on his watch while also making admiring comments about the Russian leader. Which is what makes this Examiner interview — with its change in tone and laments that Putin has “changed” — intriguing.
Early exit for Dr. Oz?
Daytime TV megastar Dr. Oz launched his Senate bid to much hype at the end of last year. But has the good doctor already lost interest in high office? Entertainment website Radar reports that he is in talks to return to television should his campaign not go the way he had hoped. “No one wants to admit defeat, but he isn’t a stupid man. He knows his campaign is on life support,” a source told the outlet. Then, on Tuesday, Oz told reporters that he would forgo security clearances necessary for senators sitting on certain committees if it forced him to renounce his Turkish citizenship. Oz, a dual national whose mother lives in Turkey, said, “I can love my country and love my mom.”
A poll published last week showed David McCormick opening up a meaningful lead over Oz, who had been the frontrunner. The Fox News survey found that 24 percent of voters back McCormick compared to 15 percent supporting Oz.
What you should be reading today
Matt Purple: When the establishment cries treason
Peter A. Coclanis: Enough with the 1970s comparisons
Amber Athey: Pennsylvania’s governor’s race makes for strange bedfellows
Tyler Cowen, Bloomberg: The future of crypto is boring — and bright
Josh Kraushaar, National Journal: Trump staring at resounding rejection in GOP primaries
Ed West, Wrong Side of History: The oikophobia of the right
Poll watch
President Biden Job Approval
Approve: 42.9 percent
Disapprove: 51.7 percent
Net approval: -8.8 (RCP Average)
Voters’ views on Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill
Should the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade be banned?
Yes: 51 percent
No: 35 percent (Politico/Morning Consult)
