The rest of the world is leading on the reaction to the invasion of Ukraine, showing that the United States needs to regain its leadership role around the world, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said Monday on Newsmax.
"This is where Congress should have been unified," Ernst told Monday's "Wake Up America." "We have been pushing the [Biden] administration for months upon months now.
"We are finally seeing a slow reaction coming from the White House."
But other nations have been leading while President Joe Biden has been following with Ukraine, Ernst said.
"We need to regain our leadership around this world, and supporting Ukraine is how we do that," she added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has underestimated the determination of people in Ukraine who want their country to remain free, Ernst continued.
"I have long loved the people of Ukraine since I first visited it in 1989," she said. "The people wanted to be free then and they want to be free now.
"They have an inspirational president and inspirational people. The world loves their effort. Americans and NATO, need to join up in supporting Ukraine and their freedom."
The United States also needs the leadership of a "strong president" and to be able to provide lethal aid to Ukraine so it can defend its homeland, according to Ernst.
The administration also must keep up the pressure on Putin "and all of his oligarch cronies," Ernst concluded. "I'm glad that we're finally stepping up but we need strong leadership as well and do whatever we can to back the Ukrainian people."
Note: See Newsmax TV now carried in more than 100 million U.S. homes, on DirecTV Ch. 349, Dish Network Ch. 216, Xfinity Ch. 1115, Spectrum, U-verse Ch. 1220, FiOS Ch. 615, Frontier Ch. 115, Optimum Ch. 102, Cox cable, Suddenlink Ch. 102, Mediacom Ch. 277, AT&T TV Ch 349, FUBO and major OTT platforms like Roku, YouTube, Xumo, Pluto and most smart TV's including Samsung+, Sony, LG, Vizio and more – Find All Systems that Carry Newsmax – Click Here
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.