McCain Calls For Peace In Ukraine

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

CAITLIN MACNEAL – DECEMBER 15, 2013, 9:40 AM EST

Sen. John McCain traveled to Ukraine over the weekend to express his support for the revolution there and on Sunday the senator called for peace in the country.

"Hopefully what we're trying to do is bring about peaceful transition here that would stop the violence, would give the Ukranian people what they unfortunately have not, with different revolutions that have taken place, a real legitimate society," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." "This is a grassroots revolution here. It's been peaceful except for when the government tried to crack down on them, and the government hasn't done that since."

McCain said that the U.S. should not get involved in Ukraine with military action, but with a peaceful approach.

"We are talking about the possibility of sanctions if they continue to brutally repress their people," he said. "That would require some action on our part."

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccain-calls-for-peace-in-ukraine

[polly7]

1. McCain Calls For a Piece Of Ukraine'

... because that warmonger doesn't know the meaning of the word 'peace'.

[DonViejo]

3. No, no. McCain clearly meant "peace"...

as in, "peace after we bomb the hell out of it and land our troops for the overthrow of the Ukraine Govt."

[polly7]

5. Well in that case ..... yes.

Remember how he took every opportunity in 2008 to ramp up hostilities during the Georgia-Ossetia conflict?

McCain: Georgia conflict is the ‘first serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.’

BY SATYAM KHANNA ON AUGUST 15, 2008 AT 9:51 AM

"McCain: Georgia conflict is the ‘first serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.’"

Speaking at the Aspen Institute in Colorado yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that recent Russian aggression in Georgia is the “first…serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.” McCain seemingly ignored the Gulf War, 9/11, and the Iraq War, to name a few:

My friends, we have reached a crisis, the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War. This is an act of aggression.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2008/08/15/27592/mccain-russia/



http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/oct/31/russia-georgia

McCain has an agenda here alright .... there's nothing this wamongering opportunist won't either ramp up or contribute to.

[another_liberal]

9. Yeah, I remember that one.

And we say Putin is being, "Paranoid about the West's intentions."

[DonViejo]

10. Unfortunately, I do recall that...

Mccain and his good buddy Lindsey Graham are all ways looking for a way to fan the flames of war. Personally, I think McCain is still angry about being held prisoner by the North Vietnamese government for all those years...and he wants the rest of the world to pay for his experience.

[bemildred]

2. So he has a lot of influence there? Has Newt Gingrich weighed in on it yet?

[dipsydoodle]

4. The USA is poking its nose in

why ?

Expansion of NATO ?

[reACTIONary]

12. If by NATO you mean...

... the EU, I think you are right. The EU represents an effort to peacefully unite western liberal democracies for peace and mutual prosperity. Between the EU and Russia, supporting the strength and depth of the EU is in our interest.

[dipsydoodle]

13. No - I meant NATO.

.

[reACTIONary]

14. You are right...

...having looked into it, Ukraine was a NATO candidate. So going EU could also be a move toward reviving NATO candidacy.

[davidpdx]

15. Not sure why McChipmunk went there

But the real power struggle is between the EU and Russia. Both want the Ukraine on their side economically. Russia has been tried to start an trade union similar to the EU. The problem is that Putin is going to find that he can't threaten and control all these countries and there will never be a "Soviet Union" style pact.

[dipsydoodle]

17. It doesn't follow that Russia needs to use threats.

Russia holds out prospect of loan for Ukraine.

A Kremlin aide made clear on Monday that Russia was ready to extend a credit to Ukraine to help Kiev cope with its economic problems and keep the country in Moscow's orbit.

Economic adviser Andrei Belousov said it was possible that a credit could be agreed at talks on Tuesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who has turned to Moscow for help after spurning a free trade deal with the European Union last month.

"I do not rule out that, if there is a request, a credit could be provided (to Ukraine)," Interfax news agency quoted Belousov as saying.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/12/16/uk-russia-ukraine-loan-idUKBRE9BF06B20131216

Credit may partly refer to when gas supplies are paid for. Last bill Ukraine paid was that for August.

It obviously doesn't follow that credit / loans would be on the table if Ukraine went for the EU route. With the EU route loans would need to be made available by the EU and the IMF. The IMF has already laid out terms which are not acceptable to Ukraine and the EU limited their offer to a billion euros for the time being.

[davidpdx]

18. I think Russia would use threats. Not necessarily military, but economic.

Gas is something they have a lot of and can use it to buy influence.

The choice really is more economic as you stated. The Ukraine can choose to go backward and align with Russia or forward and align with the EU. Russia's economy is bleeding from all the corruption left over from the good old days. With Putin as president for life things will only continue to be bad. The fact that the population of the Ukraine is split down the middle between two forms of Christianity doesn't help either.

[albino65]

6. What the hell?

Why do we allow politicians to travel to foreign countries and officially represent us? Look at the harm that McCain has already done in Syria and Iraq. Look at what fools that Romney, Bachmann, King, and Gohmert (read Pyle) made of themselves on foreign junkets. Foreign policy is the responsibility of the executive branch through the department of state. These idiots send mixed messages for which someone will have to answer.

[another_liberal]

19. Exactly!

Well said.

[Botany]

7. ATTN John McCain

you lost the election

[another_liberal]

8. Great move, Senator . . .

Threaten the Ukrainian people with economy-crushing sanctions, that's bound to make us much more popular there. (sigh)

Sanctions are what Russia is warning it will do to those pitiful people! Can't we at least give them an alternative?

[seattledo]

11. Going against a democratically elected government...

is not something our government should ever do. Of course since McCain doesn't support democracies or even the right to vote, he is siding against democracy.

[cvoogt]

16. and Ukrainians said ...

who the hell is John McCain?