Take His Name Out Your Mouth

House Speaker Mike Johnson put out a statement blaming Putin, who he called a “vicious dictator”, for Alexei Navalny’s death. But let’s put that statement into perspective. Navalny died not knowing whether America had the resolve to stand up to Russia because Johnson and the other Trump-suckling enablers were too afraid to stand up to their Putin-loving leader to get Ukraine the funding it desperately needs. Johnson is not worthy of even speaking Navalny’s name. NYT (Gift Article): As Putin Threatens, Despair and Hedging in Europe. “In Munich, the mood was both anxious and unmoored, as leaders faced confrontations they had not anticipated. Warnings about Putin’s possible next moves were mixed with Europe’s growing worries that it could soon be abandoned by the United States, the one power that has been at the core of its defense strategy for 75 years.”

+ AP: Stalled US aid for Ukraine underscores GOP’s shift away from confronting Russia. “‘I don’t like this reality,’ Johnson said. ‘Vladimir Putin is an evil war criminal.’ But he quickly added: ‘Vladimir Putin will not lose this war.'” (Before the US stalled its support, Putin was losing a ton of soldiers and military might each month. If Putin will not lose this war, it’s only because Johnson and his colleagues will not stand up to Trump.)

+ Putin’s dream is a world without America as the leading super power. With help from the House GOP, he’s getting closer to that goal. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Ukraine’s Allies Are Gaming Out a World in Which the US Retreats.

+ “A shortage of ammunition has contributed to the loss of the eastern city of Avdiivka and eroded morale among units that find themselves outmanned and outgunned.” As Russia pushes forward, Ukrainian soldiers say U.S. aid delays have left them exposed.

+ NYT (Gift Article): Inside Aleksei Navalny’s Final Months, in His Own Words.