The 38-year-old entrepreneur and political newcomer has laid out a radical stance on foreign policy, featuring what his critics see as a Putin-friendly proposal to end the Ukraine war.
Ramaswamy wants to cede territory taken by Russia in eastern Ukraine in return for Moscow exiting its military alliance with China. He would also block Ukraine’s candidacy to the Western security alliance NATO and end U.S. sanctions on Russia.
Instead, Ramaswamy said, the U.S. should refocus military strength at the U.S.-Mexico border.
It’s a position that has found little public support from fellow Republicans, but Americans are growing more tired of financing the war. And the two leading candidates for the GOP nomination, former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have shared Ramaswamy’s skepticism of U.S. support for Kyiv.
Recent polling has shown that Americans are about evenly split on whether to continue sending Ukraine money, as some Republicans argue that tax dollars should be focused on domestic issues like disaster responses.
Ramaswamy is speaking to Americans frustrated with conditions at home, delivering them a more simplistic foreign policy message.
But extended scrutiny could break apart his policy platform, and he’s already come under fire.
Read more at TheHill.com.
