McCain On Trump’s Putin Call: ‘The Man On The Other End Of The Line Is A Murderer’
Senator John McCain released a statement on Friday concerning Donald Trump’s planned phone call with Vladimir Putin this weekend. McCain in his statement advised Trump to “put an end to speculation” that sanctions on Russia will be lifted. McCain said that lifting the sanctions would be “reckless.”
And more importantly, McCain promised to work “with my colleagues to codify” the sanctions into law if Trump moved to ease or lift them.
McCain’s statement also said, “Russia’s war on Ukraine has killed over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians,” and Russia has “conducted a massive military buildup along NATO’s eastern flank.”
McCain went on to say that Russia “intensified its propaganda efforts to undermine the governments of our allies…and deliberately interfered in our recent election with cyberattacks and a disinformation campaign designed to weaken America.”
“Each of our last three presidents had high hopes for building a partnership with the Russian government,” the senator wrote. “Each attempt failed…because Putin wanted to be our enemy.”
Here is the full statement from John McCain:
Jan 27 2017
STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PHONE CALL WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin tomorrow:
“President Donald Trump’s call with Vladimir Putin is scheduled to take place amid widespread speculation that the White House is considering lifting sanctions against Russia. For the sake of America’s national security and that of our allies, I hope President Trump will put an end to this speculation and reject such a reckless course. If he does not, I will work with my colleagues to codify sanctions against Russia into law.
“In just the last three years under Vladimir Putin, Russia has invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea, threatened NATO allies, and intervened militarily in Syria, leaving a trail of death, destruction, and broken promises in his wake.
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has killed over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Russia supplied the weapons that shot down a commercial aircraft over Ukraine and killed 298 innocent people.
“Russia has conducted a massive military buildup along NATO’s eastern flank, conducted large-scale military exercises, violated the borders, airspace, and territorial waters of its neighbors, and intensified its propaganda efforts to undermine the governments of our allies.
“Russia has propped up the murderous Assad regime as it has waged war on the Syrian people and killed more than 400,000 civilians. Russia’s military has targeted Syrian hospitals and first responders with precision weapons. Instead of targeting ISIL, Russia has focused its operations against the moderate Syrian opposition, which has only empowered extremist forces in the country.
“And in the most flagrant demonstration of Putin’s disdain and disrespect for our nation, Russia deliberately interfered in our recent election with cyberattacks and a disinformation campaign designed to weaken America and discredit Western values.
“Each of our last three presidents had high hopes for building a partnership with the Russian government. Each attempt failed, not for lack of good faith and effort on the U.S. side, but because Putin wants to be our enemy. He needs us as his enemy. He will never be our partner, including in fighting ISIL. He believes that strengthening Russia means weakening America. President Trump should remember this when he speaks to Vladimir Putin. He should remember that the man on the other end of the line is a murderer and a thug who seeks to undermine American national security interests at every turn. For our commander-in-chief to think otherwise would be naïve and dangerous.”
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