Trump betrayed Ukraine again. Again, Idaho’s Risch is silent | Opinion
It’s not often an American president chooses a business pal of his to take on the most delicate diplomatic assignment, in this case the special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, a fellow real estate developer in New York. Now there’s a qualifier for the job. Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to structure the new “peace deal” for Ukraine and Russia, which the conservative National Review calls a “nonstarter.”
It’s a complete and total sellout to Putin that only a lackey sent by Putin’s favorite bootlicker, President Donald Trump, could approve. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not even at the table. There can be nothing but shock in Kiev as Trump just offered to give Putin everything he ever wanted out of his murderous attack on Ukrainians.
The worst of the deal is Ukraine ceding control of territory in eastern Ukraine now controlled by Kiev. Also, Ukraine would have to cut the size of its army as much as 50%, and it would have to give up some weapons systems, likely to be missiles and drones that can reach Russia. Ukraine would have to grant official recognition to the Russian language and the Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church, both of which are major concessions Ukrainians are unlikely to give up.
The European Union, also sidelined in the so-called negotiations between Witkoff and Putin, has already responded by calling for Europe and Ukraine to be “on board” in the negotiations. It’s no wonder the EU demands to be at the table, given one plank of the plan prohibits European military security and training deployments in Ukraine. Given how Trump has betrayed the Ukrainian people by denying U.S. military assistance to counter Russian attacks, this basically shuts down Ukraine and is a precursor to surrender to Putin.
Next question for Idahoans: Where’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch on this plan? Crickets so far from the Republican, which is no shock from the man who apparently lost his voice, not to mention even the slightest moral grounding on how to act as a United States senator and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Never in the history of Idaho has there been a more incompetent and cowardly senator afraid to speak out against a president who has sold his soul and the soul of America to war criminal Putin. Repeatedly, Trump has demonstrated ever so publicly his adoration of the Russian strongman, even throwing out a red carpet for him when he visited Alaska for another opportunity for the American president to kiss Putin’s ring.
Risch’s least informed constituents on foreign policy issues could figure out a way to speak out publicly about how America cannot forsake Ukraine — which it has managed to do on a regular basis through six American presidents, according to Alexander Vindman in his new book, “The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine.” The morally bankrupt Risch has taken a backbencher’s seat in the Senate, all the while holding the chair of a Senate committee that is responsible for the Senate’s role as a congressional check on presidential action in foreign policy.
Acting as a check is what Idaho Sen. Frank Church did as chair of Foreign Relations when he differed publicly with his own Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson, over the unsuccessful prosecution of the Vietnam War. But Risch? He stands on the sidelines, destined to be a footnote in the history books as the little senator that couldn’t. And now he expects Idahoans to give him another term in his octogenarian years.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee itself describes its history as being “instrumental in developing and influencing United States foreign policy, at different times supporting and opposing the policies of presidents and secretaries of state.” Note the part about opposing presidents and secretaries of state at different times, a provision of Risch’s duties that he simply ignores, rather than take on the terrible Trump.
Why is Risch silent? In the case of Trump’s deferential behavior toward Putin, pundits ask what Putin has on Trump. After all, Trump spent a few years in Russia promoting his businesses and who knows what transpired there in those years.
Turn that question to Risch. What is he afraid of? What could Trump have on Risch? It could be nothing more than his fear of the likely fabrications Trump invents when he attacks anyone who differs with him — especially Republicans in Congress like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, who departed from the ranks recently.
Or is there something else Idahoans don’t know about Risch? There is no way of knowing, given his refusal to come to the defense of a democracy fighting for its life. What a way to go down in history, as the senator who couldn’t muster the courage to perform his constitutional duties.
Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio, a regular columnist for the Idaho Statesman and a contributing columnist for the Chicago Tribune. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.