139936
  • Log in
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

Left-wing Democrats Urge Biden to Pursue Diplomacy in Ukraine

by Noah Carl
25 October 2022 2:13 PM

Western policy towards Ukraine is one of those weird issues where the socialist left and the nationalist right are on side, while the mainstream left and the mainstream right are on the other. It’s the ‘extremes’ against the middle, in other words.

Socialists are sceptical of Western policy toward Ukraine for several reasons: a lingering affection for Russia, due to its socialist past; a reflexive opposition to Western foreign policy, perhaps borne of national self-flagellation; and a cynicism about the role of the U.S. and NATO in all of this.

The nationalist right shares the socialist left’s cynicism about the U.S. and NATO. It also believes that Western nations should put the interests of their own citizens first, rather than funnelling large sums of money into a foreign country.  

This is an oversimplification, of course. There are centrists – people like Robert Wright, John Mearsheimer and Anatol Lieven – who’ve expressed scepticism about the West’s Ukraine policy. But most of the politicians who’ve done so are from one of the two camps identified above.

Until recently, almost all the U.S. politicians who’d expressed scepticism about the West’s Ukraine policy were right-wing nationalists (Tulsi Gabbard is an obvious exception). When Congress voted on a $40 billion aid package back in May, all the dissenters were ‘America First’ Republicans – 57 in the House and 11 in the Senate.

But they’re no longer the only ones with reservations. Yesterday, 30 left-wing Democrats wrote to Biden, urging him to “make vigorous diplomatic efforts in support of a negotiated settlement”. Their number included all six members of The Squad.

Opening paragraph of the recent letter to Biden.

The missive does not call for an end to U.S. support for Ukraine. Rather, it asks the administration to combine military and economic support with a “proactive diplomatic push”. As to what that might entail, the authors mention “incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief,” as well as “a new European security arrangement acceptable to all parties”.

In addition, they urge Biden to “engage in direct talks with Russia” – something various commentators have said is necessary to end the fighting. Earlier this year, Viktor Orbán argued “the war can only be brought to an end with Russo-American negotiations”.

The authors’ proposals will not go far enough for some.

They concede that “it is not America’s place to pressure Ukraine’s government”. Yet this “makes no sense either practically or morally”, according to historian Anatol Lieven. “In numerous other conflicts,” he writes, “Western governments have felt able to propose and even in some cases to enforce peace settlements of their own devising”.

Others will dismiss the proposals as an outline for ‘appeasement’.

The real question, though, is whether they’ll have an impact on U.S. policy. And if I had to guess, I’d say it’s unlikely.

Stop Press: After only one day, the letter has been withdrawn. In a statement, the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said it was “released by staff without vetting” – though critics claim this is just an excuse.

Tags: Diplomatic solutionJoe bidenUkraine

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

Monkeypox Has Fizzled Out, But the WHO’s “Public Health Emergency” Lingers On

Next Post

Excess Non-Covid Deaths Top 21,000 Since the Spring and Continue to Rise

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
Please log in to comment

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

13 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NEWSLETTER

View today’s newsletter

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

 

DONATE

PODCAST

Nick Dixon and Toby Young Talk About the Fall of Russell Brand, the BBC’s Trans Rights Activism and Graham Linehan Topping the Bestseller List

by Will Jones
19 September 2023
10

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Most Read
  • Most Commented
  • Editors Picks

Lucy Letby Must Be Allowed an Appeal

11 September 2023
by Dr David Livermore

Canadian Parliament Gives Standing Ovation to Man Who Served in Waffen SS

24 September 2023
by Noah Carl

News Round-Up

24 September 2023
by Will Jones

Heart Failure Deaths in 2023 Up 26% on Pre-Pandemic Levels, Data Show

24 September 2023
by Nick Rendell

Football Focus in Peril as Viewing Figures Plummet Following Replacement of Dan Walker With Alex Scott

23 September 2023
by Will Jones

News Round-Up

78

U.K. Health Security Agency Head: We’ll Behave More Like Sweden When the Next Pandemic Hits

38

Heart Failure Deaths in 2023 Up 26% on Pre-Pandemic Levels, Data Show

36

Members of England Ladies’ Angling Team Refuse to Compete in World Championships After Team Picks Trans ‘Woman’ Who Used to Be a Rugby Player

34

MPs Who Believe ‘Women Have a Penis’ Will Be Named and Shamed Ahead of General Election

25

Canadian Parliament Gives Standing Ovation to Man Who Served in Waffen SS

24 September 2023
by Noah Carl

Heart Failure Deaths in 2023 Up 26% on Pre-Pandemic Levels, Data Show

24 September 2023
by Nick Rendell

German Whistleblower Finds DNA Contamination Up To 354 Times Recommended Limit in BioNTech-Pfizer Vaccine

23 September 2023
by Robert Kogon

Decades of Mismanagement Are Dooming Britain to Decline

22 September 2023
by Dr Angus Dalgleish

The Measles Scaremongering Doesn’t Stand Up to Scrutiny

22 September 2023
by Dr Ros Jones

POSTS BY DATE

October 2022
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Sep   Nov »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Please note: To be able to comment on our articles you'll need to be a registered donor

Already have an account?
Please click here to login Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment