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Friday, August 01, 2008

McCain Puts One Across Putin's Bows

AFP reports:

Russia has become an autocracy under Vladimir Putin and the Russian president-turned-prime minister has taken the country down a "very harmful" path, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Sunday.

"We need to improve their behavior," McCain told ABC television when asked about his threat to exclude Russia from the Group of Eight if he wins the White House in November.

"His government -- former president Putin, and now Prime Minister Putin -- has taken his country down a path that I think is very harmful," McCain said. "They've become an autocracy."

"In the last week or so, look at Russia's actions," he added. "They cut back on their oil supplies to the Czechs, because the Czechs made an agreement with us. They have now thrown out -- or forced out -- BP out of Russia.

"They continue to put enormous pressures on Georgia in many ways. They're putting pressure on Ukraine. They are blocking action in the United Nations Security Council on Iran," McCain said.

"We want better Russian behavior internationally, and we have every right to expect it," he said. "And I will do what I can to see that they reverse many of the behavior patterns which have really been very unhelpful to peace in the world."

ABC News adds:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., defended his call to exclude Russia from the Group of Eight despite opposition from members, in an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos on "This Week."

"You have to take positions whether other nations agree or not, because you have to do what’s best for America," McCain explained. “I will do what I can to see that they reverse many of the behavior patterns, which have really been very unhelpful to peace in the world.”

The presumptive Republican nominee openly criticized Russia for straying from the G-8's founding principles. “We need to improve their behavior,” he said. “They’ve become an autocracy.”

McCain also said he believes former president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is still in charge and is responsible for Russia's destabilizing role in the international community.

“In the last week or so, look at Russia's actions. They cut back on their oil supplies to the Czechs, because the Czechs made an agreement with us. They have now thrown out the -- or forced out -- BP out of Russia ... They are blocking action in the United Nations Security Council on Iran.”

1 comment:

Kolchak said...

It appears that McCain gets it and Obama clearly doesn't. The choice for US president should be simple.