Sen. Lisa Murkowski understands the imperative of speaking truth to power right now. “I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin,” she wrote on X after last Friday’s disastrous White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’s “a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan prefers punching down. Like when he blasted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) back in November 2023.

“Xi Jinping is watching right now,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said. “He is loving this, so is Putin. They are loving it. How dumb can we be, man?”

He was upset about Tuberville’s hold on all military promotions. And while I appreciated his effort to do what’s right, I also suggested he was ignoring “the proverbial elephant in the room named Donald Trump.”

There’s little doubt Putin enjoyed last week’s spectacle much more than Tuberville’s foolish stunt. Tom Nichlols, who taught at the U.S. Naval War College for 25 years, called it “one of the grimmest days in the history of American diplomacy.”

But instead of being honest with Alaskans, all Sullivan would say is Zelensky missed an “opportunity for the people of Ukraine.”

Sure, the opportunity to bow to Trump and trust Putin even though he’s already violated 25 cease-fire agreements he signed.

Just a few days before the White House meeting, the Trump administration sided with Russia, North Korea and Iran in opposing a UN resolution that demanded Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces” and cease hostilities in Ukraine. Sullivan sheepishly avoided addressing that too.

Like Murkowski, our allies are clear-eyed about these developments. They no longer trust America.

“The scene in the White House yesterday took my breath away,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. “I would never have believed that we would one day have to protect Ukraine from the U.S.A.”

“So today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in response to Trump’s tariffs that violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement they signed in 2018. “At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make sense of that.”

It doesn’t make sense. Neither did Trump’s incoherent defense of Putin.

“They respect me,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about Russia possibly walking away from the peace talks. “Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me.” He then launched into a tirade about the investigation of possible collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. “That was a phony Hunter Biden, Joe Biden scam. Hillary Clinton, shifty Adam Schiff, it was a Democrat scam.” And Putin too “was accused of all that stuff” that “came out of Hunter Biden‘s bathroom.”

Trump has also called Joe Biden “a stupid, incompetent president” for providing “about $350 billion” in aid to Ukraine. That figure is double what’s actually been authorized. More to the point, Congress approved it. Sullivan not only supported it, as I wrote a few weeks ago, he frequently argued Biden wasn’t doing enough to help Ukraine. So Trump must think he’s stupid too.

I’m sure Sullivan will now claim Trump’s tough approach has forced Zelensky back to the table. But he won’t be happy if the war ends on Russia’s terms.

Murkowski’s fear that will happen is justified by Trump’s frequent displays of trust for Putin and disdain for our allies. He’s also had an axe to grind with Ukraine for years. And retribution is one of his primary motivators.

But it’s his pursuit of power that explains his admiration for dictators like Putin and Xi. They understand suppressing dissent is vital to maintaining it. He’s applying the same bullying tactics that helped him gain control of the Republican Party in an attempt to decapitate the free press and every other democratic institution.

Next on his agenda may very well be seizing control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

Putin loves that kind of talk too because it further weakens our alliances around the world.

And Sullivan either doesn’t get it, has no conscience, or is too afraid to speak truth to power.

• Rich Moniak is a Juneau resident and retired civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience working in the public sector. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.