Topline
Right-wing firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Tuesday suggested Ukraine bears responsibility for provoking a Russian invasion, breaking with the views of Republican leaders in her latest comments that more closely mirror Russian talking points than Western views of the conflict.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) talks as President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the … [+]
Key Facts
Greene said in an appearance on the right-wing media program BKP Politics that Ukraine’s openness over the past few years to form alliances with the West amounted to agitating Russia, or “poking the bear,” as she called it.
She added the ongoing war is one Ukraine cannot win, saying that Russia is “being very successful in their invasion,” despite U.S. intelligence finding Russian forces are progressing far slower than planned and numerous international observers saying Russian tactics show disorganization.
Greene also claimed the likes of former President Barack Obama and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are responsible for laying the groundwork for the war, after she said they “propped up Ukraine” by “working so hard to push Ukraine to the West.”
Key Background
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed Ukraine is responsible for starting the conflict, citing the country’s willingness to join NATO before the war, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he’d be open to a “compromise” on the issue to end the conflict. Putin has also outlandishly claimed that Zelensky, who is Jewish, is leading a neo-Nazi government that is committing genocide against Russian-speaking people in the Donbas region. Greene tweeted Sunday she did not support an American aid package for Ukraine since she worried weapons would be given to “possible Nazi militias that are torturing innocent people, especially women and children,” while saying, without evidence, that Zelensky was “torturing his own people.” Greene angrily fired back last week at the assertion she’s parroting Russian propaganda, telling a reporter: “fake news media continue to defame me as Pro-Putin and Pro-Russia”.
Chief Critic
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday that Republicans speaking out against siding with Ukraine are “some lonely voices out there that are in a different place.”
Tangent
A video surfaced earlier this month showing Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), another favorite of the far right, calling Zelensky a “thug” in command of an “incredibly evil” government.
Further Reading
Mitch McConnell Downplays Cawthorn, Greene as ‘a Few Lonely Voices’ in GOP (Newsweek)
Rep. Madison Cawthorn Blasts Ukraine’s Zelensky As A ‘Thug’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/03/22/poking-the-bear-marjorie-taylor-greene-suggests-ukraine-instigated-russian-invasion/