As Vladimir Putin continues to use his military to ravage Ukraine, President Joe Biden’s response to the situation is steadily drawing criticism from a number of politicians and experts, especially regarding giving Russia even an ounce of leverage in the ongoing war.

According to Fox News, Terry Namkung, a 20-year Air Force veteran and a candidate for Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District, slammed the Biden administration for giving Russia “leverage” with regard to nuclear arms talks with Iran, as Russia acted as an intermediary in the renewed nuclear deal talks with the rogue nation, under the Biden administration.

“Russia being given an intermediary role in the shaping of the Iran deal is ludicrous and is handing leverage over to Russia,” Namkung said.

He added: “When you consider how much leverage Russia already has because – thanks in large part to Joe Biden – they’ve forced dependency on us and on Europe through their oil production, it puts the United States in a precarious position to give Russia even more leverage.”

What’s going on?

Former President Donald Trump pulled the rug out from under Barack Obama’s infamous nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, but the Biden administration is extremely interested in reestablishing communication with the country to reinstate some version of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Because of the soured relations between the U.S. and Iran, the rogue state sponsor of terrorism has refused to talk directly with the U.S. government, and instead has chosen to go through a number of European countries, and Russia, to possibly bring negotiations back to the table.

At issue now is Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who demanded recently that the talks not be derailed in the midst of the country’s illegal and deadly invasion of Ukraine.

“We have asked for a written guarantee…that the current process triggered by the United States does not in any way damage our right to free and full trade, economic and investment cooperation and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic State,” Lavrov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was criticized after he affirmed this week that no matter what’s happening in Ukraine, the situation will “have nothing to do with…the Iranian nuclear deal.”

Calls for “maximum sanctions”

Namkung torched the Biden administration for keeping Russia in play as far as the nuclear deal talks are concerned, and called for “maximum sanctions” against Russia as it continues its invasion.

“I am wholeheartedly against the 2015 Iran deal and I don’t expect to see any improvement from Biden’s new deal, especially if Russia is acting as a go-between,” the GOP candidate said.

He added: “We need strong leaders again who will stand up to the likes of both Russia and Iran, and who will open up our domestic oil pipeline.”