McConnell: U.S. and NATO Allies Must Stand Strong in the Face of Russian Threats
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding foreign policy:
“Over the holidays, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insatiable and unreasonable demands only grew.
“So did Russia’s threat to Ukraine, Europe, NATO, and our own interests.
“Putin cannot be allowed to use force or the threat of force to further erode Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“The West cannot be bullied into betraying our friends, forgetting our principles, or accepting a Russian sphere of influence.
“Freedom’s friends will either stand up to the bully while we have the chance or we will rue the day we did not — whether in Europe, Asia, or elsewhere.
“If Putin walks away from this self-created crisis feeling emboldened, he and others will run the same play again and again.
“It is appropriate for the Administration and our allies to seek to deescalate the situation. But not at the expense of deterrence and not by throwing our friends’ security under the bus.
“And if we don’t make sure our allies and partners have a seat at the table, they may well end up on the menu.
“For Putin, this is not just about Ukraine.
“This is about breaking NATO and Europe and restoring Russian domination of its neighbors.
“I support President Biden’s stated desire to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“But his Administration must move faster to provide emergency military capabilities to help Ukrainians defend themselves and deter attacks.
“Time is of the essence. Moving at the speed of bureaucracy will not cut it.
“Neither will waiting until Russia escalates, at which point it would be too late.
“Because this is not merely about Ukraine, President Biden must also work with NATO allies to reinforce our collective military position on the Continent.
“We have to reassure our Eastern flank NATO allies and deter any threats to the Alliance by demonstrating that 30 nations are both willing and able to uphold Article 5.
“The President, with bipartisan support, has threatened sanctions against Russia. European allies must show they, too, will impose significant sanctions on Moscow for any additional aggression against Ukraine.
“Even if this crisis abates, the long-term threat from revisionist powers like Russia and China isn’t going anywhere.
“These countries want to redraw world maps and rewrite international rules through force or the threat of force.
“This is why the United States must be as serious about modernizing our military as our adversaries are about modernizing theirs.
“While the Biden Administration talks a good game about competing with China, their first budget proposed to cut defense spending in real terms, especially given their runaway inflation.
“We cannot shirk on investing in our military.
“And our friends and allies must also pull their weight. NATO’s 2% pledge from 2014 is not sufficient for the threats we face in 2022. But key NATO partners have still not met even that commitment.
“Europe must also reassess energy and environmental policies that have purchased a green veneer at the expense of more dependence on Russia and more leverage for Moscow.
“This should begin with abandoning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
“The United States, NATO, and all our partners can either act now… or we can live to regret it.”
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Related Issues: Russia, National Security, Senate Democrats, America's Military, China, House Democrats
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