Senator McCain says U.S. stands with Ukraine against Russia
Source: Reuters/MSN
KIEV Republican U.S. Senator John McCain promised on Saturday continued support for Kiev in the face of aggression from Moscow, as he spent New Year's Eve on the front line in Ukraine's eastern conflict zone.
McCain was one of a bipartisan group of 27 U.S. senators who sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in December, urging him to take a tough line against Russia over what they termed its "military land grab" in Ukraine.
"I send the message from the American people - we are with you, your fight is our fight and we will win together," McCain was quoted as saying by Ukrainian President Poroshenko's press service.
"In 2017 we will defeat the invaders and send them back where they came from. To Vladimir Putin - you will never defeat the Ukrainian people and deprive them of their independence and freedom," McCain said after a visit to a military base in the southeastern town of Shyrokyne.
Trump signaled during his campaign that he might take a softer line in dealings with Moscow, repeatedly praising Russian President Putin's leadership.
Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/senator-mccain-says-us-stands-with-ukraine-against-russia/ar-BBxLFtK
I didn't know McCain was in Ukraine. I am thinking he is pissing Trump off mighty bigly huge.
OldYallow
(90 posts)Sorry.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Spending NYE with Ukrainian military.
FormerOstrich
(2,702 posts)Apparently he has been visiting the Baltic States. I'm not a fan of McCain but he has my respect on these actions. I can't believe he isn't getting more coverage.
Plus, apparently I missed this:
McCain was one of a bipartisan group of 27 U.S. senators who sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in December, urging him to take a tough line against Russia over what they termed its "military land grab" in Ukraine.
I need to find out who those 27 are. It needs more press!
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Full text of the senators letter:
December 8, 2016
President-elect Donald J. Trump
Trump-Pence Transition Team
1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Dear President-elect Trump,
As Members and friends of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, advocates for a strong US-Ukrainian relationship, and backers of NATO, we write to convey strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States Senate. We look forward to working with you and your new administration to support our ally Ukraine and help it secure a peaceful and democratic future.
Almost three years after Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and military aggression in eastern Ukraine, daily ceasefire violations along the line of contact make a mockery of the Minsk Agreement and demonstrate that this conflict in the heart of Europe is far from over. Russia has yet to withdraw its heavy weapons and continues its sabotage and subversion efforts. It has not halted its disinformation war against Ukraine and the West, nor stopped its economic and political pressure aimed at undermining the Ukrainian government. According to conservative estimates from the United Nations, approximately 10,000 people have been killed, over 20,000 wounded, and more than two million internally displaced since the conflict began. And, unfortunately, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers still do not have full, unimpeded access to the Ukrainian-Russian border while Russia continues to supply weapons, equipment, and personnel to the separatists.
Quite simply, Russia has launched a military land-grab in Ukraine that is unprecedented in modern European history. These actions in Crimea and other areas of eastern Ukraine dangerously upend well-established diplomatic, legal, and security norms that the United States and its NATO allies painstakingly built over decades a historically bipartisan global security framework that has greatly served US security and economic interests. We believe it is in our vital national security interest to uphold these norms and values, and prevent Americas commitment to its allies and ideals from being called into question.
In light of Russias continued aggression and repeated refusal to respect Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereign right to choose its own destiny, we also renew our call for the United States to increase political, economic, and military support for Ukraine. This includes defensive lethal assistance as part of a broader effort to help Ukrainians better defend themselves, deter future aggression, and implement key structural reforms. Similarly, we believe that Russias illegal annexation of Crimea should never be accepted, nor should we lift sanctions imposed on Russia for its behavior in eastern Ukraine until key provisions of the Minsk Agreement are met. Accordingly, US leadership on maintaining such transatlantic sanctions should remain a priority.
We look forward to continuing the tradition of bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress, which has authorized meaningful assistance programs through the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, and other pieces of legislation. We stand ready to work with you and your new administration on strengthening the US-Ukrainian relationship and look forward to learning more about your plans to engage on this important issue.
Sincerely,
RICHARD J. DURBIN
United States Senator
ROB PORTMAN
United States Senator
JOHN MCCAIN
United States Senator
JEANNE SHAHEEN
United States Senator
MARCO RUBIO
United States Senator
SHERROD BROWN
United States Senator
RON JOHNSON
United States Senator
CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY
United States Senator
CORY GARDNER
United States Senator
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
United States Senator
PAT ROBERTS
United States Senator
JACK REED
United States Senator
CHRISTOPHER A. COONS
United States Senator
JOHN BARRASSO
United States Senator
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN
United States Senator
LINDSEY GRAHAM
United States Senator
ROBERT P. CASEY JR.
United States Senator
JOHN BOOZMAN
United States Senator
GARY C. PETERS
United States Senator
JIM RISCH
United States Senator
JEFF MERKLEY
United States Senator
JOHNNY ISAKSON
United States Senator
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
United States Senator
JAMES INHOFE
United States Senator
AMY KLOBUCHAR
United States Senator
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE
United States Senator
ROBERT MENENDEZ
United States Senator
orangecrush
(19,546 posts)Looks like not everyone in the Senate is lining up to kiss Putins ass.
Will wonders never cease?
FormerOstrich
(2,702 posts)I appreciate you posting this for me. I wish there were even more signatures on the letter....but it's a good thing nonetheless!
oberliner
(58,724 posts)It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out in the coming months and years.
karynnj
(59,503 posts)Risch, Gardner, Johnson, Rubio, Barrasso, and Isakson. Several of the Democrats are on that committee too, but that these Republicans are signing it may mean there will be questions on ties to Russia. Flake and Corker are on the committee as well - and they have pushed back occasionally.
Cha
(297,196 posts)can to buck trumputin.
cstanleytech
(26,290 posts)Cha
(297,196 posts)Salviati
(6,008 posts)obliviously
(1,635 posts)He only speaks for himself, why can't we beat that bastard, it was no problem in the presidential election.
I'm tired of looking at the wrinkled old hamster looking bastard.
FormerOstrich
(2,702 posts)You think he is wrong? What does his looks have to do with it?
obliviously
(1,635 posts)His position is whatever he thinks is popular, did you learn nothing from the 2008 election? I question anything this man says simply because he is saying it.
BeyondGeography
(39,370 posts)so this isn't for fun. Maybe think again, or for the first time?
nancy1942
(635 posts)I say more power to those who have a conscience to speak up for what's right.
I could care less what he looks like;what is going on now transcends a person's appearance. Put this in perspective.
obliviously
(1,635 posts)JI7
(89,248 posts)ExtraGriz
(488 posts)Who did you vote for in 2016?
JI7
(89,248 posts)he has been consistent in his positions.
he defended obama against bigots but goes after him on not being tough enough.
karynnj
(59,503 posts)2008 was going to be an impossible year to win with Bush at around 30 approval. It was even more a change election than 2016. McCain would likely have won 2000 if he had won that nomination.
larwdem
(758 posts)The fucking dem senators can stand in front of a camera too. Were the fuck are they ?
xor
(1,204 posts)Ukraine is a fake country full of squatters on Russian land. Ukraine is historically part of Russia. Blah blah blah
You know, the stuff we probably all read/heard at least a few times from the Russian troll army.
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Vinca
(50,269 posts)Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)Integrity is just not a RusskiRepublican thingy.
doc03
(35,328 posts)lark
(23,097 posts)He said there was no Russian aggression. In other words, he lies about everything to create personal advantages for himself. You know he is absolutely screaming about this behind closed doors. Surprised he hasn't sent out an attack tweet about McCain.
FormerOstrich
(2,702 posts)hasn't been a tweet. Maybe the trip has been so low key he doesn't know yet.