How the war in Ukraine is affecting Republican primaries

Republicans hitting their opponents for being weak on Russia is as old as the Cold War. But Russia’s assault on Ukraine and the pro-Trump right’s friendly rhetoric toward Russia means Republicans are not just attacking Democrats: they are attacking other Republicans as weak on Russia.

In Ohio’s Senate race to replace retiring Republican Sen Rob Portman has become a focal point. Republican candidate JD Vance said: “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another” and added that “I’m sick of Joe Biden focusing on the border of a country I don’t care about while he lets the border of his own country become a total war zone.”

Later, ahead of Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine Mr Vance released a statement calling it “a corrupt nation run by oligarchs, that is as close to a democracy in 2022 as Afghanistan was when Joe Biden handed it over to the Taliban in 2021.”