Progressives Retract Letter Asking Biden to Negotiate With Putin on Ukraine

On Tuesday, progressive lawmakers retracted a letter calling on President Joe Biden to ramp up "efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine.

Key Quotes: Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus, wrote that the letter was "released by staff without vetting" and that "because of the timing, our message is being conflated by some as being equivalent to the recent statement by Republican Leader McCarthy threatening an end to aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over." Rep. Ruben Gallego, a caucus member who didn't sign the letter, tweeted Monday that the way to help Ukraine is "by giving Ukraine the weapons to defeat Russia.”

For Context: House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy indicated last week that Ukraine aid might be reduced back if Republicans win control of the House, saying that "Ukraine is important," but U.S. aid for the conflict "can't be a blank check."

How the Media Covered It: Some reports from right-rated sources, such as National Review, highlighted how Politico's (Lean Left bias) coverage of the story quoted Democrats who said the letter will "cost the party and potentially jeopardize opportunities for" Jayapal in Democratic leadership. A report from The Intercept suggested that the letter's retraction and criticism of it from other Democrats shows that making efforts to end the conflict is overly difficult and "apparently not allowed to include discussion of how to get to a negotiated settlement."