June 26, 2015

McCain in Kyiv; U.S. must provide defensive weapons to Ukraine

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The photo above was posted on Sen. John Mc Cain’s Facebook page with this notation: “Honored to visit brave volunteers stationed at Dnipro-1 Territorial Defense Battalion in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine & meet with Ukrainian Pres Petro Poroshenko & PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk this weekend. I will always stand w/ free Ukraine!”

KYIV – The United States has to lead the free world in countering the naked aggression of Vladimir Putin against Ukraine and must urgently provide it with defensive weapons, intelligence and any necessary assistance, Sen. John McCain said at a joint press briefing with Sens. Tom Cotton and John Barrasso here at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center on June 20.

Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) underscored that the U.S. Senate had voted unanimously in favor of arming Ukraine. “We will urge President Barack Obama to implement the will of the Congress and that of the American people,” he said, arguing that the current reluctant support of Ukraine by the United States and Europe is “shameful and disgraceful.”

The energy dependence of European Union member states on Russian resources might be one of the factors that prevents them from taking decisive actions against the latter’s military aggression in eastern Ukraine. “We can export more energy resources to our Western allies, NATO member-states and Ukraine in order to provide the means of economic security,” noted Sen. Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

Answering questions on whether arming Ukraine would further escalate the conflict, Sen. McCain noted that the United States got help from the French during its own struggle for independence. “America has a tradition of helping the people who are struggling against thugs like Vladimir Putin,” he added.

Sen. Cotton (R-Ark.), a veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reiterated the message that the military conflict in Ukraine has far wider ramifications: “I felt that I am on the frontline of freedom and today’s Ukrainians defend the Western way of life. As long as Russia occupies Crimea and eastern Ukraine, we cannot stand idle.”

“The best weapon against Russian propaganda would be a successful and prosperous Ukraine,” Sen. McCain concluded.

The delegation of U.S. senators took part in a series of meetings with Ukrainian leaders, including President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

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