ANALYSIS – Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) is a controversial conservative firebrand. I have found some of her past statements a bit wacky, but I also found some of them spot on.
Now she says that the warnings about the threat Russia poses to Europe under Vladimir Putin are “lies.”
Well, some may be. Others may be overblown. Some are part of a pro-Ukrainian narrative.
But let's be clear Russia did launch an unprovoked and massive military invasion of an independent country in Europe. It is a war of conquest and the most brutal and large-scale war in Europe since WWII.
And that includes the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.
So, let's look more closely at what she said.
Appearing on Steve Bannon's “War Room” podcast on Thursday, MTG offered yet another reason why she does not support U.S. aid for Ukraine to fight off the brutal Russian invasion.
Among her comments, she said:
That's the whole point that we're over there in Ukraine is ridiculous. We're propping up their government, paying for Zelensky's salary; that's people's retirement over there and their entire government keeping the lights on.
She added: We are paying for…a proxy war with Russia when I've never seen Putin actually show in any detail his plans to invade Europe…I don't believe the lies that I'm being told about this.”
Well, yes, the U.S. and NATO are fighting a proxy war with Russia in defending Ukraine.
But that's the whole point. Ukraine is doing the fighting, and Ukrainians are dying for their country. We are just helping and supplying.
And that includes keeping the Ukrainian government alive and the power on in the country after repeated attempts by Putin to shut the entire country down.
Whether all our assistance is being well spent or some of it is wasted or siphoned off due to corruption is a totally valid question. And the GOP-led House, including MTG, has been vigorously pursuing that.
They need to keep pushing on that issue and demanding more transparency and accountability on our Ukraine aid from Team Biden.
And second, Ukraine is in Europe, so in a sense, Putin has already invaded Europe.
But if she meant invading the rest of Europe, that would still be off-target.
Calling the whole idea of us helping Ukraine defend itself ‘ridiculous' – just because Putin hasn't publicized his detailed plans for destabilizing or attacking other countries in Europe beyond Ukraine – is simply idiotic.
I don't recall anyone seeing a detailed plan for Imperial Japan's or Hitler's plans for conquest.
But like the Japanese and Hitler, Putin has made a lot of public statements showing what he thinks.
He has said that other former Soviet colonies with Russian-speaking minorities are possible targets.
He has talked of his vision of a ‘Greater Russia.'
He has compared himself to Peter the Great, Russia's first real conquering emperor.
We have seen his recent efforts to try to foment a coup in Moldova, a small non-NATO European country bordering on Ukraine. This could still turn into a stealth Russian invasion.
The threat and fears are real. Even if not as dire as some say.
There's a reason that historically neutral Sweden and Finland (which shares a long border, and bad history, with Russia) are working overtime to join NATO.
I'm not sure what more MTG needs.
As I keep saying, ‘words matter,' and saying stupid things doesn't help the cause.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently calling the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine a “territorial dispute” is another example of saying dumb things. (RELATED: DeSantis And Trump Are Right – And Wrong – About Ukraine)
The question shouldn't be whether the Russian threat is real. It should be how much of the cost of defending against Russia should be borne by the U.S. versus by Europe.
And no one is really asking that.
Then there are her other comments on that podcast about Mexico which seem to be part of the new GOP tactic to focus on the border and homeland defense.
She says: “we have a real war that has been declared on America, and they're killing over 300 people a day, and that's being waged by the Mexican cartels, not the Mexican government, but the Mexican cartels that is [sic] basically running our border and obviously controlling our country.”
And on this point, she isn't wrong. We have a semi ‘narco democracy' on our rapidly collapsing and barely defended southern border.
And fentanyl crossing the border is killing 100,000 Americans a year.
That is a real threat that is much closer to home. And we need to start taking it seriously. Very seriously.
And I've written about how other lawmakers are now pushing for more authority to use military force against the Mexican narco cartels. (RELATED: Will America Use Military Force Against Violent Drug Cartels In Mexico As Trump Has Warned?)
But dealing with the Mexican drug cartel danger isn't the primary reason we should spend less on helping Ukraine. We can deal with that threat in Mexico without a massive defense investment.
The real foreign threat to the United States is Communist China. And that's where the focus of our defense and foreign affairs priority should be.
That should be the primary reason Europe should take the lead in dealing with Putin and Ukraine.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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You are spouting the neocon propaganda. You need to take Majorie Taylor Green much more seriously. I absolutely agree with her. Russia wanted the western world to live up to its promise that the Ukraine would not join NATO plus the Russian speaking areas of Ukraine were just as much Russian as they were Ukrainian. This war isn’t about Russia, there’s something much more nefarious going on. By the way, if Ukraine is a democracy then I’m an Einstein.
My understanding is that Putin’s reasons for going against Ukraine are 1) the two regions that were taken away from Russia want to be back in Russia so he is attempting to take them back, 2) to destroy the 40+ biolabs in Ukraine apparently funded by our own government (see Fauci), 3) to stop child trafficking. The reason the U.S. is helping Ukraine, IMO, is the Biden family, the Pelosis, the Schumers, et al are reliant on Ukraine for their money laundering payments. Because of this, our criminal government is spending OUR dollars to protect their money laundering payments and the biolabs. Prove me wrong . . .
Putin said he considered NATO on his border an existential threat and he would take whatever action necessary to prevent it. The West proceeded with plans to bring Ukraine into NATO and Putin made good on his promise. To say the attack was unprovoked is totally inaccurate. The war was entirely preventable. Plus there are no good guys in the war as the Ukraine government was among the most corrupt on the planet. Much of the aid has been a revolving door through FTX crypto right back to the Democratic Party. We should stop funding this proxy war, agree to keep Ukraine out of NATO and negotiate a peaceful settlement. When we sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline and cut off Russian gas to Western Europe, it could be argued that we committed an act of war against our allies. Like Brad, I absolutely agree with MTG.
Fund Ukraine War NOT for corrupt Govt
It is IMPOSSIBLE to fund the war without funding the government.
Whether all our assistance is being well spent or some of it is wasted or siphoned off due to corruption is a totally valid question.
FALSE. Whether ANY of it is being well spent is a valid question. That MUCH is, at best, being wasted is conclusively known.
Marjory Taylor Green is my absolute favorite representative but she is dead wrong on this. Putin and his closest associates as well as the one whose daughter who was killed by The Russian Resistance, who is still his closest advisor and friend have stated their intentions to continue restoring the former Soviet Union. They have stated repeatedly that Germany, Moldova, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, and Estonia, and Poland are next. This is why These countries have decided to send all of the MIG-29’s and Russian made tanks and weapons to Ukraine, in some cases their entire air force as well as all of their tank units to Ukraine. If Ukraine falls, it will be World War II again as Vladimir Putin is exactly like Adolph Hitler was, to a “T”. As for the comment about keeping the lights on, it is only because Russia has been and still is destroying Ukraine’s electrical grid and has threatened it’s nuclear power plants. Now does this sound like “rumors” or is it history repeating itself?
you’re not funding the ukraine people, you’re funding a handful of peoples bank accounts!!!
18 years in Vietnam and the Politicians and Military commander’s basically pissed on the grunts doing the fighting and dying. No will to win so lets just leave our troops there to be targets. Much like the Iraqi debacle and over 20 years in Afghanistan. No more treasure, no more blood for a fight that we have no will to win. Sorry, not my monkey not my circus. Send your money and eventually your kids to fight the noble cause for the borders of Ukraine, while ours are over run with God knows what. FJB
No thank you. This wouldn’t have started if there wasn’t a push to have Ukraine join NATO. The Chinese are loving their two enemies (Russia is definitively not a Chinese ally) draining their militaries and treasure. Two birds with one stone. Once we are properly used up there’s a high chance they will roll into Taiwan. I can’t believe someone with a such “distinguished” past is so myopic. I also feel there is so much corruption and laundering going on that unless we give everything Zelenskyy asks he will spill the beans. Joe Biden is the most corrupt president we have ever had. Along with the majority of democrats.
Nothing makes your comments more useless than when they won’t post them. Proves Q for ever.
I am not sure that MTG is 100% correct however she does have access to highly classified material pertaining to Ukraine and the war with Russia.
She is absolutely right about the Corruption in Ukraine where even our (Administration’s) experts admit that somewhere between 30-35% of what we have given the Ukrainian Forces is ‘Unaccounted For’ meaning I believe either given to or sold to Russia (meaning China Iran and North Korea as well as Russia have access to some of our newest military equipment) or of course the equipment could have been sold on the Blackmarket.
One last reason I agree with MTG is based on history; Russia under Putin has consistently stated that a NATO allied Nation directly on Russia’s borders is unacceptable. Bush pushed for NATO admission to some Baltic Nations and there was conflict between Russia and Georgia (country not U.S. State) Obama pushed for NATO admission of Baltic Nations and Russia invaded and took Crimea (btw Russia has believed for Centuries that Crimea was part of Russia); Trump Didn’t push for any new countries to Be Admitted to NATO (some had pushed for Montenegro be admitted but Trump said No) there was no conflict in Eastern Europe during Trump’s term however Biden started Pushing for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO while still on campaign trail he ramped up calls to admit Ukraine to NATO after elected DESPITE intelligence warning against Ukraine and NATO as Ukraine is directly on Russia’s boarder and Putin is ramping up military forces in the event Ukraine applies for NATO admission-BIDEN KNEW THE ACTION HE WAS TAKING WOULD START AN ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE but intentionally started this proxy war. Why?
Also I (MTG agrees?) divided Europe into Eastern Europe and Western Europe and I believe she is correct about Putin/Russian attacking Europe meaning Western Europe
Gospodin Putin is a dyed-in-the-wool agent of Soviet KGB. Support of Mother Russia through covert and dehumanizing means such as torture and executions is likely in his DNA. And I’ll wager he misses the old Soviet Union and would dearly love to reestablish it as his legacy. We shall see, although I hope NOT.
We are in this spot because of the gutless puke in the WH. No other reason.
We are in this spot because of Biden. No other reason.
Yep just what we need another LIAR!! “But let’s be clear Russia did launch an unprovoked and massive military invasion of an independent country in Europe.”
EXACTLY what Senator Biden stated would happen IN 1997!!! Russia will NOT allow an American military base on its border! Ukraine joining NATO would have put a NATO base fully staffed by the US Military on Russia’s border. PUTIN had NO choice but to defend Russia from that possible placement of US Military on Russia’s border.
Nice try but no cigar. Sgt. Schultz must have written this article at Colonel Klink’s behest. There are some people who really know how Ukraine war scenarios were planned long before Russia made a single move and that it wasn’t Russia that provoked their response. Victoria Nuland stated 5 billion dollars was spent on Ukraine in reference to throwing the Midan “Orange Revolution”, before selecting Poroshenko to be president. The money has never stopped flowing into Ukraine. Trying to call out MTG is playing politics by creating another distraction to what’s really going on. You can say it’s US hegemony but it’s really larger than that and everyone knows it except the misled and uniformed. Blowing up Nordstream was one part of the puzzle why a war was planned and anyone who’s informed knows who did that. You can say it came straight from the horses mouth.
To the author, Paul. You lost me after using the word “unprovoked”. As a DIA guy you have to know damn well Russia was not unprovoked. Just change NATO to Warsaw Pact, and Ukraine to Mexico. How long would the US have stood by while Russia did the same things in Mexico we did in Ukraine before attacking? There are many adjectives you can use to describe this war. Unprovoked is not one of them