Rand Paul echoes Putin's talking points on Ukraine while arguing with Blinken over Russia's motives

[IronLionZion]

https://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-says-ukraine-part-of-russia-debate-blinken-war-2022-4

Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday largely blamed NATO for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In a fierce exchange with Blinken, he said Russia attacked because Ukraine was "part of Russia...part of the Soviet Union."
"That does not give Russia the right to attack them," Blinken said.


Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday received fierce pushback from Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the Kentucky Republican said that Ukraine was "part of Russia" during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Paul said there was "no justification" for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, but added "it does not follow that there's no explanation for the invasion." The GOP senator cited Russia's qualms with Kyiv's NATO ambitions, which have not advanced in 14 years, and accused the Biden administration of "beating the drums to admit Ukraine" to the alliance.

Blinken rejected Paul's suggestion that the administration was "agitating" for Ukraine's NATO membership, stating that the US was "standing up" for the alliance's open door policy and "a basic principle that one country can't dictate to another the choices it makes about with whom it allies."

Paul then said if Ukraine had been part of NATO when Russia invaded then "US soldiers would be fighting in Ukraine" right now. Blinken fired back, making the case that NATO membership has protected countries from Russian aggression and emphasizing that countries have a right to self-determination.

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Russian Rand strikes again. It's deplorable how many Republicans are siding with Putin on this war even after the many atrocities.

[JohnSJ]

1. If there is no ambiguity there that paul is a putin stooge

[Alpeduez21]

2. Hey, Rand Paul,

Poland Czechoslovakia, and Hungary among many other countries were part of the Soviet Union, too

[Baked Potato]

3. Awww, Safe-Seat Guy blows PooTin a kiss...

So adorable!

[Make7]

4. McCarthy says Russia 'probably' wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if Biden had sent arms sooner

McCarthy says Russia 'probably' wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if Biden administration had sent arms sooner

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Sunday suggested that the Biden administration was too slow in providing arms to Ukraine, arguing that if weaponry had been given to Kyiv sooner, then Russia "probably" wouldn't have invaded the country.

During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," the California Republican told chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel that while the United States is not deploying troops to the country, the administration should have been more vigilant about sending weapons overseas.

"This is going to get stronger and rougher and what really needs to happen is, Ukraine is not asking for American men and women to fight, all they're asking for is the weapons to defend themselves," he said. "If we would have taken those actions earlier instead of waiting till after Russia invaded, they probably never would've invaded had we done that sooner."

...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/mccarthy-says-russia-probably-wouldnt-have-invaded-ukraine-if-biden-administration-had-sent-arms-sooner/ar-AAWiC8z

Apparently Biden had been 'agitating' too forcefully to include Ukraine in a defense pact, while simultaneously negligently dragging his feet on providing Ukraine defensive capabilities.

[IronLionZion]

5. Dems were too busy impeaching Trump the first time over this

Trump kept trying to help Ukraine but the damn Democrats wouldn't allow it...or something like that.

[IronLionZion]

6. After everything Russia has done

Cyber attacks on the US, harassing US soldiers in Afghanistan and Syria, disrupting ship navigation systems in the Pacific, and so much more. It's absolutely disgusting how many Republicans are taking sides with the main adversary of the US. That party was just pretending to be patriotic after 9/11. They're full of it.

[Hassler]

7. Blinken should ask Sen Ayn what he did on July 4 in Russia.

Love how Crusty McCain once called out Ayn Paul in the Senate, said he was working for Putin.

[Blue Owl]

8. What kind of patriotic American spends July 4th behind the Red Curtain?

Rand Paul has answered the question...

[GoldandSilver]

9. Why are so many Republicans embracing Putin?

I simply don’ t understand the Putin attraction (but then I’ve never understood why anyone would applaud dumbass Donald either).

What I do understand is a lot of people are admiring Putin and his strongman demeanor. Well, screw Putin, and screw the screwed up Republikans.

America was built to be a democracy and it’s going to stay a democracy as long Americans breathe. You want a dictatorship or “autocracy”? Get thee to Moskow quick (before a real American takes your life in defense of America).

They wave American flags, speak of the Constitution as if it were the word of their god and speak of freedom as if it were a “god given right” of American white people.

Well folks, the flag was born of a coalition of 13 colonies, the Constitution was written by thinking white men, and freedom is something we have to work at all the time to prevent
people like Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson from undermining the hard fought battles for American freedom.

[IronLionZion]

11. The "America First" party is now Russia First, America last

While the MAGA folks have always been irrational and stupid, this issue really should divide the GOP a lot more than it is. Since they are hitting us on inflation, we need to hit them on their support for the wrong side in a brutal war.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. "The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin."

Link to tweet