ORLANDO — Former national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien took Russia to the woodshed in his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, lending his voice to the growing chorus of prominent conservatives lashing strongman Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
O’Brien, a top aide to former President Donald Trump when he exited the White House, said Saturday at CPAC that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amounted to a “crisis the likes of which most of us born after World War II have never seen.” He warned that Putin was not content to stop at Ukraine and could target other European countries, including NATO members, if the United States does not show adequate resolve.
“Putin’s conquest of Ukraine is not enough for him,” O’Brien said in remarks from the main stage, located inside a hotel ballroom in central Florida. “Last week, he threatened the Baltic states and Finland. Putin even held out the prospect of nuclear war against any nation that opposes him.”
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“Make no mistake,” O’Brien emphasized. “Putin wants to rebuild the Russian Empire. He is not a person to be admired, no matter how charming or clever he is.”
That last line from O’Brien, considered a dark horse 2024 presidential candidate, was a subtle shot at some well-known conservatives, including Trump, who have expressed appreciation for Putin as a leader and strategist. Some voices on the Right have gone even further, questioning the United States for taking sides against Russia in its manufactured conflict with Ukraine.
But as the war drags on and Ukraine repels the invasion, most GOP leaders and rank-and-file Republicans have issued statements condemning Moscow and rebuking Putin. That point of view has filtered down to the conservative activists speaking from the main stage at CPAC, where Russia is increasingly coming under heavy criticism as speakers call for the U.S. to lead a global opposition to Putin.
Indeed, most of the headliners at the annual conference of conservatives who are not elected Republicans are accusing President Joe Biden of being too weak in the face of Moscow’s aggression.
In an interview after his speech, O’Brien said these muscular views on Russia and Putin since the invasion began, combined with the sharp dissatisfaction with Biden’s perceived inadequate response, are reflective of a Republican Party that remains decidedly, and traditionally, hawkish on foreign policy matters.
“I think it’s still Ronald Reagan’s party, and I think ‘peace through strength’ and ‘America First’ were two sides of the same coin,” O’Brien told the Washington Examiner, tying together the phrase “peace through strength” used to describe Reagan’s foreign policy and the “America First” slogan used by Trump.
“President Trump used to talk about President Reagan all the time in the Oval Office,” he added.
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Ukraine’s health minister said that 198 civilians had been killed in the Russian invasion, including three children. Another 1,115 civilians have been wounded, including 33 children. Despite the casualties, Western powers have been reluctant to enter the war, offering up nonmilitary support and pledging to send troops if a NATO state comes under attack.
CPAC, which has been overshadowed by the invasion, began in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday.
