Jen Psaki Accuses Hawley of ‘Parroting Russian Talking Points’

Hawley said Biden should drop support for Ukraine's eventual NATO membership so the US can focus on confronting China

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) of “parroting Russian talking points” after he sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the Biden administration to drop support for Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.

“If you are digesting Russian misinformation and parroting Russian talking points, you are not aligned with longstanding bipartisan American values, which is to stand up for the sovereignty of countries like Ukraine, but others,” Psaki told reporters at a press briefing.

“That applies to Sen. Hawley, but it also applies to others who may be parroting the talking points of Russian propagandist leaders,” she added.

Since Hawley is no dove, he responded by accusing the Biden administration of “coddling” Russia. One of his examples was Biden “giving” Moscow the Nord Stream 2 pipeline even though a pipeline that runs from Germany to Russia isn’t Washington’s to give.

In his letter to Blinken, Hawley said the US should still “urgently deliver” military aid to Ukraine and said the Biden administration shouldn’t commit to war in Eastern Europe so the US can focus on confronting China. Like many hawks in Washington, Hawley wants the US’s primary foreign policy focus to be on Beijing.

“The United States can no longer carry the heavy burden it once did in other regions of the world — including Europe. To the contrary, we must do less in those secondary theaters in order to prioritize denying China’s hegemonic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific,” Hawley wrote.

Hawley favors increasing US support for Taiwan and introduced a bill last November that would give the island $3 billion in military aid.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.