Standing with our allies shouldn’t be partisan 

A little over 20 years ago, the late Senator Joe Lieberman, No Labels’ founding chairman, quipped that “politics must stop at the water’s edge.” 

Sen. Lieberman said it during the Iraq War, calling for a “bipartisan political truce” and warning that partisan bickering could undermine America’s goals and put our troops at greater risk. 

Twenty years later, is Washington heeding his warning? The reactions to President Trump’s recent announcement on the Russia-Ukraine war could provide an answer. 

President Trump Ups the Pressure on Russia 

Following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on July 14, President Trump announced the U.S. would step up its support for Ukraine.  

Specifically, President Trump said: 

• NATO allies will send defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine in a matter of days and then buy more weapons from the U.S. to replenish their stockpiles. 

• Vladimir Putin has 50 days to accept a ceasefire deal, or else the U.S. will impose 100% tariffs on Russia and any country that does business with them. 

The announcement was heralded in Ukraine and across Europe, especially as Russia has increased its use of drone strikes in recent months – including those targeting civilians.  

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked President Trump and America for working to “stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.” Secretary Rutte said that Russia will “take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously” and that Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands are all ready to join in rearming Ukraine. 

Some Democrats Praise President Trump 

There are principled members of Congress on both sides of the Ukraine debate. Most believe America should continue to support Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. Some are hesitant for the U.S. to get more involved for fear it could draw us into a direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia.  

What Americans should be looking for is leaders who held the same position, regardless of whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump was in the White House. It suggests they aren’t letting politics get in the way of national security.  

That was certainly the case with several congressional Democrats who are longtime advocates of supporting Ukraine. They took Senator Lieberman’s advice to heart and didn’t let politics get in the way of praising President Trump’s decision. 

Some of these came as no surprise. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the former co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, has always been willing to buck the party line and support common sense policies. Sen. John Fetterman has also shown a willingness recently to work with the White House when other Democrats won’t. 

Others Consumed by Partisanship 

Sadly, a few Democrats could not resist the urge to bash President Trump, even on an issue as critical as standing with Ukraine. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries even held a press conference to accuse him of “playing footsie with Russia.” 

For their part, a few Republicans who have been long-time opponents of Ukraine aid, are suddenly singing a different tune now that the president of their party is in the White House. Praising President Trump’s decision, Speaker Mike Johnson said, “we’ve got to talk tough and we’ve got to act tough” because “we need peace in this conflict, it’s long overdue.” Yet Speaker Johnson blocked Ukraine aid last October under President Biden, saying he didn’t have “an appetite for further Ukraine funding.” 

We aren’t naive enough to think that politicians won’t occasionally play politics with an issue. But on issues of war and peace life or death, they owe us something better. 

Senator Lieberman understood that. He knew there’s a time for politics, and there’s a time to show unity in the face of global threats. On Ukraine, we’re watching in real time who embodies that principle.