In the U.S. Republican Party, there truly exists a pro-Putin, pro-Russian faction, quite vocal and influential. These very politicians helped President Donald Trump block all American aid to Ukraine
Anders Åslund, Swedish-American economist, diplomat, leading international expert on the national economies of Ukraine, Russia, and former USSR countries, stated this in an interview with Espreso TV.
“It’s telling – the loudest accusations of corruption against Ukraine come from those who themselves have serious problems in this area. First and foremost, it’s Putin, who constantly reproaches Ukraine for corruption, even though Russia ranks 154th out of 180 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Ukraine, on the contrary, shows progress: over the last decade, it has risen from 142nd to 105th place. This is still far from an ideal indicator, but progress is obvious,” he said.
Åslund noted that another frequent critic is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“According to Transparency International, Hungary has fallen below Bulgaria and Romania, becoming the most corrupt country in the European Union. So, the most corrupt states often criticize Ukraine the loudest – not because they care about its development, but because they want it to remain weak and corrupt,” the economist stated.
He emphasized that these narratives are increasingly heard in the United States as well.
“Tucker Carlson, a far-right commentator with a clear pro-Russian stance, most actively repeats these theses. You probably remember how he traveled to Moscow, recorded a four-hour interview with Putin, and enthusiastically described how ‘wonderful’ Moscow is. Honestly, many would prefer him to have stayed there. There truly is a pro-Putin, pro-Russian faction in the Republican Party, quite vocal and influential. These very politicians helped Trump block all American aid to Ukraine,” the diplomat noted.
According to Åslund, their influence is not decisive on the scale of the entire United States.
“In Europe, two countries truly stand out that consistently take a negative stance on Ukraine: Hungary and Slovakia under Robert Fico’s government, although in the latter case, the situation seems less clear-cut. Now, a third government is joining them – the Czech Babiš government. These states create significant difficulties. They will continue to use the situation to try to block EU aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia, as they have done many times before,” he concluded.
(C) 2025 Espreso.tv
Regarding Slovakia. A glimmer of hope when students act like this:
Slovak Schoolchildren Disrupted Fitzo’s Speech And Unfurled The Ukrainian Flag
https://charter97.org/en/news/2025/11/14/663030/
Splendid!
The main pro-putler and anti-Ukraine faction is found in the White House.
The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, from November 2025, shows that Republican support for continued military aid to Ukraine has significantly increased, with 73% of Republicans supporting both providing weaponry and imposing sanctions on Russia. This level of support is slightly higher than that of Democrats in the same poll (64%).
This indicates a notable shift in sentiment, as earlier in 2025 and 2024, Republican support was lower and largely conditional on a quick end to the war, even if it meant territorial concessions.
Key findings from the recent polls include:
73% of Republicans support continuing to arm Ukraine and maintain sanctions on Russia.
74% of Republicans support providing offensive weapons to Ukraine, such as long-range missiles.
86% of Republicans support further economic sanctions on Russia.
The shift is attributed by pollsters to a desire among voters to achieve an end to the war from a position of strength and to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the conflict.
The general trend shows strong bipartisan support for decisive U.S. action, with the data from the Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll indicating that public opinion, including within the Republican base, is aligning with a stronger stance on supporting Ukraine’s defense.
That’s nice, but, unfortunately, we have too many Republicans in Congress who are spineless little wimps.
Liz Cheney often refers to the “Putin wing” of the GOP.
Krasnov threatened her :
“Former President Donald Trump called former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney a “radical war hawk” and said she should see how it feels to face guns “trained on her face.”
Trump made the comments to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at an Oct. 31 campaign event in Glendale, Arizona.”