The left has every reason to hate Putin; he’s a bully, a fascist, and the ally and prototype for Donald Trump. Its support for Ukraine in the war was, therefore, never in question. But what about the GOP, which apparently has left the Trump years behind? Does this mean it is in the process of becoming a responsible center-right party again?
Don’t hold your breath; I predicted this years ago. Republicans are simply rediscovering that their identity as the party of toxic masculinity can apply to foreign affairs, as well as to domestic issues, when the wind is blowing from the right direction. They are hoping, through their support of the Ukrainians, to make the electorate forget how they behaved during the Trump years. They are trying to kick left-wing ass and rewrite history concurrently, not to support liberal democracy here or abroad. They are deceiving and compartmentalizing.
If you don’t believe me, just note that Ron DeSantis is arguing that Putin didn’t invade during the Trump years because the man on golf cart–the guy with the pro-Russian campaign manager who withheld assistance from the Ukrainian government for domestic political reasons–was tougher on Russia than Biden.