To the Editor:

The world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine in real time and worries about WWIII. That’s in full contrast to the Republicans’ disgraceful farce of spending more time playing political games to demonize Democrats, than grasping the dynamics of foreign affairs as it relates to Russian aggression.

There were valid reasons why Democrats worried about Trump’s dealings with Russia; concerns Republicans, too busy praising Trump, ignored.

It was dangerously naive of Trump to brag about being “friends” with dictators in North Korea, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but especially Putin. It was compromising for Trump to be tied to Russian bank loans and the oligarchs renting space in Trump Towers. It was inadvisable to fire long-time experts in the state department, FBI and military who knew a lot more about foreign affairs than he did. It was ignorant of him to consider withdrawing from the United Nations. It was reprehensible to threaten Ukraine by withholding $400M in military aid.

All done to please Putin by Mr. “Tough Guy”; now claiming he would end the Ukrainian war by threatening Russia with nuclear weapons. Isn’t that a “brilliant” way to start WWIII.

President Biden, on the other hand, is collaborating and coordinating with our UN allied leaders (you know, the ones Trump always made disparaging comments about). President Biden’s diplomacy and support for Ukraine is gaining respect in the eyes of the world (and clueless Republicans don’t get it).

Republicans continue to be just as mindless and ignorant about foreign affairs as Trump was. If the Republican Party hopes to salvage any vestige of respect or sensibility regarding tumultuous foreign affairs, they need to call off their media actors, disavow off-the-rail conspiracy theories and shut down “Putin adoration” on social media; messages now being rebroadcast on Russia’s propaganda media.

Martha Hodges
Massena