If confirmed by the Senate, U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, who has been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as national security adviser, will play one of the lead roles in shaping America’s policies toward Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Eurasia, among other parts of the world. Thus, for those following developments in post-Soviet Eurasia that impact the U.S. in profound ways, it is important to know what Waltz has recently said and done regarding that part of the world.

Waltz is a well-known quantity at the top of the Republican establishment. Once a Green Beret, he served as a defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, and as counterterrorism adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney during George W. Bush’s administration. Then, in 2019, Waltz succeeded Ron DeSantis as the representative for Florida's 6th congressional district. During his three terms in Congress, he has served as chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Waltz has been a firm backer of Trump, supporting efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and echoing Trump’s criticism of the U.S. military’s focus on “woke” priorities. He has also been a harsh critic of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and supports a more active role for the U.S. military at the border with Mexico.

During his time in the Congress from 2019-2024, Waltz has articulated an assertive vision for U.S. foreign policy, particularly in addressing challenges posed by Russia, its aggression in Ukraine and its influence in the broader post-Soviet Eurasian region. He has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, advocating for clearer “red lines” and stronger deterrence against Russian escalation in Ukraine, including the Russian leadership’s explicit and implicit threats to use of weapons of mass destruction. In his view, Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats must be met with decisive U.S. resolve to prevent the Kremlin from leveraging its “escalation doctrine” to gain strategic advantages.

On Ukraine, Waltz has also supported military and economic aid with strings attached, such as Kyiv’s consent to enter peace negotiations with Russia, which he likely articulated during his discussion with visiting top Ukrainian officials this week.¹ 

Waltz has also supported shared responsibility among NATO allies, urging Europe to meet defense commitments to ensure the U.S. is not disproportionately burdened, including when it comes to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Despite robust support for aid to Ukraine in the first years of the war, beginning in 2024, Waltz began to oppose broader funding measures and standalone appropriations acts. He has opposed the Biden administration’s policies on Ukraine and Iran for overstretching the U.S. militarily without significant benefits for Americans, and has criticized the promise to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as “a slogan, not a strategy.” Additionally, he has proposed warning Russia that the U.S. will substantially increase aid to Ukraine if Moscow refuses to enter peace negotiations with Ukraine, and has supported leveraging sanctions and energy policies to undermine Russia’s war machine and close loopholes in Russia’s energy exports. Waltz has expressed concern about Russia’s alliances with authoritarian regimes like North Korea. He views Russia’s activities in Eurasia as part of a broader adversarial alignment with China and Iran.

The compilation of Waltz’s views and action (such as votes) on these and other issues below covers the past several years. It is part of Russia Matters’ “Competing Views” rubric, where we share prominent American figures’ takes on issues pertaining to Russia, U.S.-Russian relations and broader U.S. policies affecting Russia. All sections may be updated with new or past statements. The quotes below are divided into categories similar to those in Russia Matters’ news and analysis digests, reflecting the most pertinent topic areas for U.S.-Russian relations broadly, and for the drivers of the two countries’ policies toward one another.

I. U.S. and Russian priorities for the bilateral agenda

Nuclear security and safety:

• No significant comments.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs:

• [On the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces against Ukraine:] “My concern is twofold … what are they getting in return in terms of technology cooperation from the Russians? Help with their nuclear program, help with their submarines and others that we will have to deal with.” (Tony Perkins, 10.31.24)
• Waltz has highlighted the risks of an emerging “unholy alliance” between North Korea, China and Russia under the Biden administration, underscoring the need for stronger alliances with South Korea, Japan and the Quad to counterbalance this bloc. … Waltz is expected to endorse a hardline approach toward North Korea, emphasizing the “maximum pressure” strategy through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. While Waltz aligns with Trump’s policy of engagement when necessary, he prioritizes robust defensive measures, advocating for advanced missile defense systems, such as Iron Dome technology, to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat. (North Korea News, 11.22.24)

Iran and its nuclear program:

• Waltz has been arguing for years that the United States should be threatening to bomb Iran. Last month, he begged President Joe Biden to go ahead and "punch Iran in the nose" in response to Iraqi guerrilla attacks. (Yahoo!News, 11.12.24)

Humanitarian impact of the Ukraine conflict:

• Putin has “resorted to despicable war crimes by launching strikes against children’s hospitals, civilian centers and executing civilians without cause,” Waltz said. (Waltz.House.Gov, 04.08.22)

Military and security aspects of the Ukraine conflict and their impacts:

• “His [Putin’s] objective at the start of the war was to conduct a lightning strike to subdue Ukraine on his way toward reconstituting the Russian empire. Fighting a costly war for three years to get to an outcome in which Ukraine remains independent and more firmly anchored in the West would be a strategic defeat for the Russian leader and seen as such in Beijing,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed with Georgetown Professor Matthew Kroenig. (Economist, 11.02.24) 

Military and security aid to Ukraine: 

• “Ukraine has shocked the world with a valiant defense of its country. Rather than swiftly take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as Russia had anticipated and our own defense department believed, the Ukrainian military has brought the Russian military to a standstill across the country. … We’ve helped the Ukrainians defend themselves against this invasion. It’s now time we help them go on offense to retake the Russian occupied parts of Ukraine. … The Ukrainian people have shown spirit, heart, and productiveness. They now need all the guns, tanks, and planes capable to defeat Russia militarily, and retake Crimea and the Donbas to restore their borders,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 04.08.22) 
• Waltz voted in favor of The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, which allowed the lending/lease of American defense materiel to Ukraine. (Congress.gov, 04.28.22)
• Waltz voted in favor of the 2022 Ukraine Supplemental Appropriation. (Congress.gov, 05.10.22)
• Waltz voted against Amendment 21 to H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act, which would have stricken $300 million of assistance for Ukraine. (Congress.gov, 07.13.23)
• Waltz voted against Amendment 22 to H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act, which would have prohibited all security assistance for Ukraine. (Congress.gov, 07.13.23)
• Waltz voted against Amendment 25 to H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act, which would have removed the extension of lend-lease authority to Ukraine. (Congress.gov, 07.13.23)
• “Giving Ukrainians the bullets to do the fighting and dying for their freedom was the right thing to do, and Congress has duly supported Kiev with sufficient military aid. … The Biden administration has neither explained the American objective in Ukraine nor his strategy to achieve it. Will American military spending continue until Ukraine has pushed Russia back to its prewar boundaries? Its pre-2014 boundaries? Or until the Putin regime collapse? We don’t know because Biden refuses to tell us. ‘As long as it takes’ is a slogan, not a strategy,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 09.18.23)
• “[T]he Obama-Biden administration did not support arming Ukraine with any military aid the last time Russia invaded in 2014 and the Biden Administration paused some military aid in the runup to the 2022 invasion out of fear that it was too provocative. … Putin is to blame [for invading Ukraine], certainly, like al Qaeda was to blame for 9/11. But were there policy choices like delaying lethal aid, lifting sanctions on the Nordstream 2 pipeline, or Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that made war more likely?” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 09.18.23)
• “I think it’s absolutely in America’s interest to stop Putin cold. … However, the era of blank checks for aid, at least coming from Congress, is over,” Walz said. (Washington Post, 09.21.23)
• Waltz voted in favor of H.R. 5692: Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023. (Congress.gov, 09.28.23)
• Waltz voted against H.R.2882: Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. (Congress.gov, 02.05.24)
• Waltz voted against H.R. 8035: Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024. (Congress.gov, 04.20.24)
• Waltz expressed "some support" for the Biden administration's decision to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles. (Wall Street Journal, 11.24.24)

Punitive measures related to Russia’s war against Ukraine and their impact globally:

• “This invasion could have been deterred had the Biden Administration maintained sanctions on Nord Stream 2, pressured our NATO allies to move away from energy reliability on Russia, forcefully responded to the Kremlin-linked hacks on the Colonial Pipeline last year and implemented preventive sanctions on Russia prior to their invasion into Ukraine,” Waltz said in a statement. (Waltz.House.Gov, 02.24.22)
• “Putin must understand the costs of invading a sovereign country and know that this will turn into a bloody quagmire – much like that of the Soviet Union’s occupation of Chechnya,” Waltz said in a statement. (Waltz.House.Gov, 02.24.22)
• “The Biden administration can still use additional tools to further cripple the Russian economy and isolate them diplomatically. Russia is currently relying on China to avoid international sanctions – we should be imposing secondary sanctions on China to close off these loopholes. President Biden can also fully sever Russia’s ties from SWIFT which would disable Russia’s ability to access international banking as it relates to their energy sector. These economic actions will further diminish Putin of much-needed resources to fund his military assault,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 04.08.22)
• “The international community needs to send a diplomatic message to Russia that they will no longer be permitted to use international organizations to spread their propaganda. This includes removing Russia from the U.N. Security Council,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 04.08.22)
• In June 2022, Waltz introduced with Sen. Rick Scott and other representatives the bicameral Keeping Russia’s Energy and Military Liable for Invading its Neighbors (KREMLIN) Act, aiming to prohibit federal agencies from doing business with entities contracting with Russia’s energy sector until specific conditions are met. Waltz said, “Put simply, the U.S. government should not be contracting with companies profiting from, and supporting, Putin’s war crimes. We must do all we can to choke off Russia’s ability to wage war against its democratic neighbors.” (Rick Scott, 06.09.22)
• “First and foremost, you would enforce the actual energy sanctions on Russia,” Walt said. And he continued, “We have leverage, like taking the handcuffs off of the long-range weapons we provided Ukraine as well.” To be sure, Waltz also commented that “of course, I think we have plenty of leverage with Zelenskyy to get them to the table.” (NPR, 11.04.24)
• “House Republicans passed secondary sanctions on Chinese buyers and refiners and shippers. But the Senate has sat on it now for a year. President Trump, again, in his own language, said, hey, China, if you keep buying from them, you can't buy from us. And China is a consumer of energy and made the right choice. So there's a number of things we can do both diplomatically and economically to constrain both Russia and Iran, for that matter's, oil exports,” Waltz said. (NPR, 11.04.24)

Ukraine-related negotiations: 

• Waltz stated, “We’ve helped the Ukrainians defend themselves against this invasion. It’s now time we help them go on offense to retake the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.” (Waltz.House.Gov, 04.08.22)
• “Supporting Ukraine for ‘as long as it takes’ in a war of attrition against a larger power is a recipe for failure. The next administration should aim, as Donald Trump has argued, to ‘end the war and stop the killing,’” Waltz wrote in an op-ed with Georgetown Professor Matthew Kroenig. (Economist, 11.02.24)
• “If he [Putin] refuses to talk [about a peace deal], Washington can, as Mr. Trump argued, provide more weapons to Ukraine with fewer restrictions on their use. Faced with this pressure, Mr. Putin will probably take the opportunity to wind the conflict down,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed with Georgetown Professor Matthew Kroenig. (Economist, 11.02.24)
• “He's [Trump] very focused on ending the war rather than perpetuating it and - you know, and really crafting a strategy to get both sides to the table. I think it's perfectly reasonable that this is going to come to some type of diplomatic resolution. And first and foremost, you would enforce the actual energy sanctions on Russia. Russia is essentially a gas station with nukes. Putin is selling more oil and gas now than he did prewar through China and Russia. And you couple that with unleashing our energy, lifting our LNG ban, and his economy and his war machine will dry up very quickly,” Waltz said. (NPR, 11.04.24)
• Waltz emphasized the importance of bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table to end the ongoing conflict. He stated, “The president has made it clear that he wants to bring both sides to the table,” highlighting a focus on what he thinks would conclude the war rather than perpetuate it. Waltz also noted that the approach to Ukraine’s security policy will ultimately depend on Trump’s decisions, saying, “This isn’t up to me, it’s the president’s decision.” These remarks underscore a strategic shift towards diplomatic engagement to resolve the conflict rather than continuous military support. (Ukrainska Pravda, 11.14.24)
• Waltz … told VOA that “the president [Trump] has been clear in terms of getting both sides to the table and is focused on ending the war and not perpetuating it.” (Voice of America, 11.15.24)
• Waltz has suggested the U.S. has serious leverage to bring Russia to the negotiating table to force a Ukraine ceasefire, and that a big piece of that could be agreeing with Saudi Arabia for a worldwide reduction in oil prices, which would crush the Russian economy. (Kyiv Post, 11.23.24)

Great Power rivalry/new Cold War/NATO-Russia relations:

• "It's imperative that the Department of Defense has the best resources to defend against the Chinese Communist Party's march toward global dominance, Russia's increased malign behavior, new terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan, the Iran regime's march toward a nuclear weapon, North Korea's nuclear arsenal proliferation and missile development and threats to freedom in the Western Hemisphere from Venezuela and Cuba," Waltz said. (Armed Services, 01.10.22)
• Regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Waltz has called for a robust response. In February 2022, he remarked, “Vladimir Putin’s invasion into Ukraine violates the very fabric of international norms and is a direct threat to our Western values.” (Waltz.House.Gov, 02.24.22)
• Waltz states that the U.S. armed forces face a significant operational challenge requiring enhanced training and resources. He emphasized the need for a base on Alaska’s northern coast and pointed out a critical shortfall in preparedness due to the Navy and Coast Guard’s limited capability to navigate icy waters. "The bottom line is, I believe we're at two operational, incredibly old [ice breakers]," he said. "The Russians have dozens ... from a ship standpoint, [we're] really kind of outgunned up there in both presence and capability." (NPR, 03.22.23)
• “We need this [Biden’s] administration to bring our allies to meet their pledge to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense now, today. Unfortunately, Biden’s diplomacy seems to be lagging. The largest European states consistently fail to meet that benchmark, pledged at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales shortly after Russia’s last Ukraine invasion,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 09.18.23)
• “American generals testify that the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan contributed to Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. When Russia massed forces on Ukraine’s borders in 2022, President Biden could have deterred the Russian leader by threatening catastrophic consequences. Instead, he reassured him, ruling out a military response and suggesting acceptance of a ‘minor incursion.’ Mr. Putin then launched the biggest conflict in Europe since the second world war,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed with Georgetown Professor Matthew Kroenig. (Economist, 11.02.24)
• “U.S. defense production and munitions are being used in Ukraine, detracting from efforts to deter China in the Indo-Pacific. For example, international attention and naval resources, such as two aircraft carriers, are redirected to European conflicts instead of China,” Waltz said. (NPR, 11.04.24)
• Waltz has praised Trump for pressuring NATO allies to increase their defense spending but has not echoed Trump’s past suggestions of pulling the U.S. out of the alliance. Instead, he takes a pragmatic approach, emphasizing that “we can be allies and friends and have tough conversations.” Waltz called for a reassessment of U.S. aims in Ukraine, questioning whether it aligns with America’s broader strategic priorities, particularly in the Pacific. “Is it in America’s interest, are we going to put in the time, the treasure, the resources that we need in the Pacific right now badly?” he asked. (Reuters, 11.11.24)
• Waltz fought tooth and nail against Trump's negotiations to withdraw from Afghanistan, voting to tie the president's hands and whining that Afghanistan is strategic real estate on the "flank" of Iran, Russia, and China. (Yahoo!News, 11.12.24)
• “China is buying oil from Iran for pennies on the dollar, Iran is using that to send missiles and drones in to Russia, that is then hitting Ukrainian critical infrastructure,” Waltz said in an interview. (Mike Waltz, 11.18.24)

China-Russia: Allied or aligned?

• Waltz has supported legislative measures addressing the strategic challenges posed by the partnership between China and Russia. Notably, he voted in favor of H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, which includes provisions aimed at countering the influence of both nations. The NDAA authorizes appropriations for military activities of the Department of Defense and prescribes military personnel strengths, thereby enhancing the United States’ defense posture in response to global threats, including those from China and Russia. (House Committee on Rules, 07.11.23)
• “The increasing China-Russia cooperation across a number of fronts ... that's everything— from a joint agreement between China and Russia to put a manned space station on the Moon by the end of this decade to this type of naval cooperation, and then everything along economic lines. China's increase of Russian oil and gas and coal is up over 50 percent just in the last year,” Waltz said. (Newsweek, 11.14.24)

Missile defense:

• No significant comments.

Nuclear arms:

• “President Biden needs to draw a clear red line now, and make it known to Kremlin officials that the United States will not stand for the use of weapons of mass destruction and detail the ‘devastating consequences’ he recently promised,” Waltz wrote. (Fox News, 03.17.22) 
• Waltz expressed alarm over Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, criticizing the lack of a clear and resolute response from President Biden. He emphasized the importance of a strong U.S. position, stating that the president should have drawn a “red line” against the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including nuclear weapons. (Mike Waltz, 09.30.22)
  • He warned that as Ukraine gains momentum in its counteroffensive, Putin might resort to his “escalation doctrine,” escalating the conflict to maintain leverage. (Mike Waltz, 09.30.22)
  • He underscored that Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling should be met with “strength and resolve for deterrence,” ensuring Russia understands that the use of nuclear weapons would result in an overwhelming response. (Mike Waltz, 09.30.22)
  • [On Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling:] “We needed to hear that strength and resolve [from Biden]. I certainly wanted Putin to hear it loud and clear,” Waltz said. (Mike Waltz, 09.30.22)
• [On the Biden administration’s decision to lift restrictions on Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory:] “It’s another step up the escalation ladder and nobody knows where this is going.” ¹ (Mike Waltz, 11.18.24)

Counterterrorism:

• “[R]adical jihadists love a power vacuum, and what followed [Obama’s decision to withdraw from Iraq] is a similar pattern to what we’re seeing unfold in Afghanistan. Our country finds itself with an almost identical threat we faced from ISIS in 2014. Within three years, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) filled the power vacuum left behind by the U.S. and established a caliphate the size of Indiana to terrorize the region and inspire attacks across Europe and the U.S.” (Fox News, 04.01.24)
• Waltz has been a vocal critic of Biden’s troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, arguing that no realistic counterterrorism strategy can be achieved without a U.S. presence. Waltz similarly opposed significant troop reductions during the Trump administration without strict conditions. (New York Times, 11.11.24)

Conflict in Syria:

• Commenting on then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ statement about Trump and Putin’s discussion of the Syrian War at the White House, Waltz emphasized that Bashar al-Assad remains in power due to Russian backing, which was facilitated by the Obama administration allowing the Russian air force to bolster Assad. This Russian support threatens a key U.S. regional ally, Israel, by enabling Iranian forces to establish a presence near Israel’s border through Syria. According to Waltz, the U.S. faces a choice: either responsibly remove Assad to ensure the safety of the Kurds and prevent ISIS’s resurgence, or navigate the reality of his regime’s survival. He described the atrocities committed by Assad’s regime and Russia in Syria as “truly historic.” However, Waltz suggested that Russia could also be a tool to counterbalance Iran. (Mike Waltz, 07.21.18)
• Waltz expressed enthusiasm about confronting external powers in the Middle East, commending Trump for ordering strikes on Russian forces in Syria during his first term. "The facts show that [Trump] was far tougher on Russia than the narrative that floats around Washington," he said, arguing Putin is "struggling, he's a gas station with nukes." (Reason, 11.12.24)

Cyber security/AI:

• Waltz made a broad call June 5, 2023, for Congress to establish a special committee on artificial intelligence (AI). … On the one hand, tapping the brakes on development of the rapidly emerging technology could have positive repercussions from a safety and standards standpoint, Waltz said. … On the other hand, “it seems to me that tapping the brakes could actually be incredibly dangerous,” Waltz said. “I would almost go so far as to say I would take an unregulated or less-than-ideally-regulated Western-developed AI rather than a Chinese Communist Party techno-dictatorship-developed AI that has the potential to dominate both militarily and economically—if those are our two bad choices.” (MeriTalk, 06.05.23)
• “How does the government help with resources to these small startups that may have critical technologies our adversaries want? And what we’re seeing with both the Russians and the Chinese, is they are leveraging and they are putting fuel on the fire of these quasi-private hacking groups,” Waltz said in an interview.  (Mike Waltz, 06.16.23)
• [On the lack of fuss over Iran’s alleged interference in the 2024 presidential election, including the attempted assassination of Trump:] “And yet, Russia 2.0, we’re just gonna blow it up two months before election day. It’s completely hypocritical,” Waltz said in an interview. (Mike Waltz, 09.05.24)

Energy exports from CIS:

• Waltz has expressed concerns about the U.S. military’s reliance on Russian energy sources in Europe, highlighting the strategic vulnerabilities it creates. He advocates for reducing this dependency to strengthen national security. “Our bases are still running on Russian gas, which I just find mind-blowing that we have to talk about this and, frankly, that Congress is having to push the department on this,” Waltz said at a hearing. (U.S. House Armed Services Committee, 04.16.24)
• “Enforce the darn sanctions. Russia is selling just as much oil and gas, actually at discounted rates through India and through China, as it did pre-war. You lift the LNG ban that’s currently in place, you flood global markets with clean American oil and gas, you drive down the price of oil, now Putin’s war machine is on its back foot,” Waltz said. (Atlantic Council, 10.28.24)
• “Putin is selling more oil and gas now than he did prewar through China and Russia,” Waltz said. (NPR, 11.04.24)

Climate change:

• No significant developments.

U.S.-Russian economic ties:

• No significant developments.

Elections interference:

• Waltz called for the U.S. to take offensive countermeasures to demonstrate clear consequences for powers attempting to interfere with the U.S. government and democratic processes. (Fox and Friends, 04.20.19)
  • Waltz said: “The FBI needs to brief the Florida delegation on exactly what Russia did and which counties were involved so we can protect our elections and the voters.” (Waltz.House.Gov., 05.02.19)
• “In March 2019, the Mueller Report concluded that Russian military intelligence officers sent spearphishing emails to over 120 email accounts used by Florida county elections officials in the months leading up to the 2016 election. This operation enabled Russian military intelligence officers to gain access to the network of at least one Florida county government. … Federal officials informed the Florida delegation [in May 2019] that Russia infiltrated a second county but federal officials did not authorize members of the delegation to disclose that information to the public. The counties’ names have still not been released,” Waltz said in a statement.  (Waltz.House.Gov, 01.16.20)

U.S.-Russian relations in general:

• “During the Trump Administration, the United States demonstrated real deterrence by implementing meaningful sanctions, successfully convincing our NATO allies to increase their defense spending, taking the fight directly to Russian mercenaries in Syria, and withdrawing from agreements like INF and Open Skies when it was clear Putin was violating them. It’s time to restore the same level of deterrence which is the only thing that will reestablish stability,” Waltz said in a statement. (Waltz.House.Gov, 02.24.22)
• Waltz said that the two U.S. administrations [Biden’s and Trump’s] work “hand in glove” during the transition. Further noting, “For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity, that they can play one administration off the other, they're wrong.” (Reuters, 11.24.24)

II. Russia’s domestic policies 

Domestic politics, economy and energy:

• Waltz criticized the Russian political regime, while commenting on Alexei Navalny’s death: “No coincidence that his death occurs a month before Russia’s so-called elections.” (Mike Waltz, 02.16.24)
• Waltz said Putin's strategy of seeking North Korean military support reflects how “desperate” Putin is to avoid mobilizing soldiers from Russia's urban middle class, particularly in key cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg. (Tony Perkins, 10.31.24)

Defense and aerospace:

• No significant comments.

Security, law-enforcement, justice and emergencies:

• No significant comments.

III. Russia’s relations with other countries

Russia’s external policies, including relations with “far abroad” countries:

•  “The U.S. must remain clear-eyed that the Maduro Regime remains a destabilizing force for the Western Hemisphere that not only represses the Venezuelan people, while siding with Cuba, Russia and China, but has helped fuel the humanitarian crisis that has reached our own southern border,” Waltz said. (Rick Scott, 12.16.22)

Also see sections above on Iran and Conflict in Syria. 

Ukraine:

• See sections above on military aspects of the conflict, military aid and negotiations.

Russia's other post-Soviet neighbors:

• “The governments in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan have shown little willingness to host American bases,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 05.03.21)
• “India operates Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan, the only air base with the proximity to conduct counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan. With an alliance, India could allow us access to strategic bases to protect U.S. interests in Afghanistan and the broader region,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 10.25.21)
• “Meanwhile, our adversaries are growing bolder, especially following the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. … Russia is increasing its influence in Belarus and further threatening Ukraine,” Waltz wrote in an op-ed. (Waltz.House.Gov, 10.25.21)
• Waltz voted to suspend normal trade relations with Belarus. (Vote Smart, 03.17.22)

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the individual quoted. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File.