Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week clarified his description of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” saying Vladimir V. Putin, Russia’s president, was a “war criminal” who “should be held accountable.”
DeSantis, a Republican who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in the coming months, made his final comments in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who shared them with The New York Post and Fox News, both owned by Rupert Murdoch. .
Last week, Mr. DeSantis made one of the most important statements of the 2024 presidential campaign so far, to influential Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has criticized the Biden administration’s approach to Ukraine. While the US has many vital national interests, Mr. DeSantis said in his statement“getting further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”
DeSantis did not name Putin at the time, criticizing President Biden’s policy as a “blank check” to Ukraine with no clear objectives, a policy that diverts attention from America’s problems.
The “territorial dispute” rule was heavily criticized by foreign policy hawks, as well as Republicans in Congress and, privately, some Republican donors. It also brought Mr. DeSantis’s views closer to those of former President Donald J. Trump.
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But Mr. DeSantis used what appeared to be a lengthy interview with Mr. Morgan early this week to clarify his statement to Mr. Carlson.
“I think he is a war criminal,” said Mr. DeSantis on Mr. Putin, for whom the International Criminal Court is a warrant for war crimes. “I don’t know about that route,” he said of the arrest warrant, “but I do think he should be held accountable.”
To Mr. Morgan, Mr. DeSantis insisted his comment about a “territorial dispute” was “mischaracterized,” but acknowledged that he could have been clearer.
“Clearly Russia invaded” in 2022, Mr DeSantis said. “That was wrong. They invaded Crimea and took it in 2014 – that was wrong.”
While a Florida congressman, Mr. DeSantis accused President Obama’s administration of failing to do more when Russia annexed Crimea.
“What I’m referring to is where the fighting is going on right now, which is that eastern border area, Donbas, and then Crimea,” said Mr. DeSantis. He added: “There are a lot of ethnic Russians there. So that’s a tough fight, and that’s what I was referring to, and so I didn’t think Russia was entitled to that, so if I had to make that clearer, I could have.
But he added: “I think the bigger point is, OK, Russia is not showing the ability to take over Ukraine, to overthrow the government or certainly to threaten NATO. That’s a good thing. I just don’t think that’s a sufficient interest for us to escalate more engagement. I wouldn’t want to see American troops there. But the idea that I think Russia was somehow justified in invading is “bullshit.”
He added that he did not believe the conflict would end if “Putin was victorious. I don’t think the Ukrainian government will be brought down by him, and that’s a good thing.”
Mr. DeSantis’ stance on Russia has been of great interest to Republicans seeking an alternative to Mr. Trump. Much of the Republican voters have come to say that the US is giving too much aid to Ukraine.
The governor has a record as a congressman that has led several people to believe he shares their views on foreign policyeven if those people are on the other end of the spectrum.
But his comments to Mr. Carlson were roundly condemned by a number of Republican senators, former Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, and future 2024 rivals such as former New Jersey governor Chris Christie. And the lack of initial criticism of Mr. Putin was noticed, especially since Mr. DeSantis mocked the idea of regime change in Russia in his first statement to Mr. Carlson.