DeSantis criticized for downplaying US interest in Ukraine war.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for downplaying the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "territorial dispute" that is not a "vital national interest." Schumer accused the hard right of "excusing" Russian President Vladimir Putin and "not even daring to condemn him." DeSantis's reluctance to stand up to Russian aggression raises questions about how he might have responded to the rise of fascism in the 1930s if he held office before World War II. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly asserted that helping Ukraine defeat the Russian invasion falls squarely within vital U.S. interests.