Sullivan stays silent on Ukraine as Trump stalls, refuses to take on Putin
Sen. Dan Sullivan had endless complaints about the U.S. treatment of Ukraine during the Biden administration. But he has never complained in public about President Trump’s refusal to challenge Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Compared to Obama and Biden, Trump “has a history of actions that are significantly harder on Putin — and the other dictators around the world,” Sullivan claimed early this year.
It’s getting harder and harder for him to make that claim. Trump refuses to take on Putin.
Sullivan is running for reelection in 2026. Holding him accountable means that his statements and actions, especially those in which he reverses his so-called positions to avoid offending Trump, need to be monitored and understood.
Sullivan’s silence makes his position clear. He is right there with the Alaska Republican Party in agreeing with anything Trump does, even if it contradicts what Sullivan has claimed that he believes.
Sullivan has spent the past three years attacking the Biden administration for not doing enough to help Zelensky and Ukraine.
“No matter the soaring rhetoric from President Biden, his administration is not in it to win it in Ukraine,” Sullivan said last July.
“One Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment candidly on the stalemate over the sanctions legislation questioned whether Trump would ever come around to backing more military aid to Ukraine or slapping harsh sanctions on Russia,” the Hill reported.
“I’m sick of Trump and JD and their love affair with everything Putin,” the anonymous senator complained, a reference to “Trump’s red-carpet welcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson last month and Vice President Vance’s recent comments defending Putin’s approach to peace negotiations.”
“A second Republican senator who requested anonymity observed that Trump has occasionally talked tough about Russia but has failed to ‘follow through’ with action.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, to her credit, has not taken the Sullivan vow of silence.
“Why we haven’t taken up a Russia sanctions bill on the floor?” Murkowski told the Hill, pausing before answering her own question.
“I know the answer to that — the answer is, the president has asked for some time, but we’ve given him all summer. We’ve given him all summer, look what’s happened,” she said.
“Everyone thought that with the Alaska summit we were going to see something, but it wasn’t very good for Ukraine. It just was Putin weighing in,” she said.
“I think it’s long past time that we moved on” Russia sanctions legislation “to send that strong signal from the Congress,” she added.
Murkowski and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), have proposed providing an additional $54.6 billion in aid to Ukraine.