By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Republican candidates seeking their party’s U.S. Senate nomination in Arizona have spent months sparring over who is best positioned to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
But in a rare moment of near-unity, most of the major GOP candidates — who hold “America First” platforms in the style of former President Donald Trump — largely blamed President Joe Biden’s approach to handling Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Most of the GOP candidates supported Biden’s repeated pledges that U.S. troops would not be sent to Ukraine to participate in the conflict.
Biden and his administration for weeks have been warning that a Russian attack on Ukraine was imminent. They urged dialogue and de-escalation, but on Thursday, hours after the assault began and at least 40 were reported dead, Biden said he had no more plans to talk with Putin.
“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Biden said at the White House.
Biden announced additional sanctions against Russia, limits on exports to Russia, and other measures intended to restrict its ability to compete internationally.
Trump commended Putin at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser Wednesday night, calling him “pretty smart.” Trump blamed Biden’s “weakness,” “incompetence” and “stupidity” for the situation.
In Arizona, GOP candidate Jim Lamon echoed Trump’s sentiments. On Twitter, he said in a written statement that Biden and Kelly, D-Ariz., “have Ukrainian blood” on their hands.
