Trump rival DeSantis says backing Kyiv not key for US

WASHINGTON: Protecting Ukraine is not “vital” for the United States, likely presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said, underscoring that the top two Republican contenders don´t see Russia´s invasion of Kyiv as a foreign policy priority.

DeSantis, the 44-year-old Florida governor, said the United States “has many vital national interests” but that “becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.”

The remark aligns DeSantis, who is considered all but certain to join the 2024 race, with former president Donald Trump in opposing the establishment Republican policy of backing Kyiv.

DeSantis was responding in writing late Monday to Fox News, which asked major Republican presidential candidates for their views on what is certain to be one of the most pressing foreign policy issues in next year´s election.