Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk appeared on Meet The Press on Sunday morning to discuss the ongoing turmoil in east Ukraine and tensions between Kyiv and Russia. Host David Gregory asked about the Geneva agreement between the US, European Union, Ukraine and Russia to stop the violence in east Ukraine.
As Russia triggered this violence and Russia supported these terrorists, and Russia was obliged to engineer a meeting to condemn terrorists and to condemn those so-called peaceful protesters with AK-74 in their hands, shooting into civilians and shooting into Ukrainian riot police. And if Russia pulls back its security forces and former K.G.B. agents, this would definitely calm down the situation and stabilize the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The West woke up on Easter Sunday to news that a deadly shootout occurred in Slovyansk. Different media outlets report the death toll is anywhere between one to five pro-Russians. Russian media blames the far-right group Right Sector, but the group denies it.
Yatsenyuk also told Gregory that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main goal is to put together the Soviet Union and this means he is a threat to the entire globe.
President Putin has a dream to restore the Soviet Union. And every day, he goes further and further. And God knows where is the final destination. And he was very clear, saying this stuff in his state of the union two years ago. And I believe that you do remember his famous Munich speech saying that the biggest disaster of the former century is the collapse of the Soviet Union. I consider that the biggest disaster of this century would be the restoring of the Soviet Union under the auspices of President Putin.
And it’s crystal clear that for today, Russia is the threat to the globe, and the threat to the European Union, and a real threat to Ukraine.
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper it was time for the US to arm Ukraine’s cash-strapped army and he reiterated his point to David Gregory.
And to leave them alone in the manner that we’re leaving them alone now to me is just unconscionable. So, again, sanctions, cooperation with them relative to strengthening their military. They only have about 6,000 troops, David, that are even trained and equipped to deal with Russia coming in.
But, again, I think Russia’s going to do it over time the way they’re doing it with black ops, intimidation. I think we’re going to lose eastern Ukraine if we continue as we are. And I think it’s going to be a geopolitical disaster if that occurs.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is one of the biggest supporters of arming the Ukrainian army, but President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have said on numerous occasions the US does not have a plan to send lethal aid. NATO already said they will send in more forces to Eastern Europe as Russia remains a security risk. Poland’s Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told the Washington Post that the US will send ground troops to Poland to help NATO allies.
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