XPost: misc.legal, alt.politics.trump, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns
From:
democrat-criminals@mail.house.gov
https://nypost.com/2021/05/06/white-house-open-to-ukraine-joining-nato-in- jab-at-russia/
The White House on Thursday made a rare foreign policy pivot by simply
crossing out the words in a transcript that had expressed support for
Ukraine joining NATO.
The revision is likely to avoid upsetting Russian President Vladimir
Putin, but it could fuel a perception of the Biden administration as
fickle on Russia policy ahead of a summit next month between President
Biden and Putin.
The White House published the unusual transcript edit about four hours
after a gaggle on Air Force One between reporters and White House Deputy
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The Biden administration is committed to ensuring that NATO’s door
remains open to aspirants when they are ready and able to meet the
commitments and obligations of membership and contribute to security in
the Euro-Atlantic area,” Jean-Pierre said.
“The United States supports Ukraine’s effort to advance rule of law
reforms and economic growth and its border — and its border fight against Russian aggression.”
“You support Ukraine joining NATO?” journalist Steven Portnoy of CBS News
Radio asked.
“Yeah, yeah. Like I said, the Biden administration is committed to
ensuring that NATO’s door remains open to aspirants when they are ready
and able to meet the commitments. So they have to meet the commitments and
the obligations of membership and contribute to security in the Euro-
Atlantic area,” Jean-Pierre replied.
But the White House later put out a transcript that included strikethrough editing on the same exchange.
A White House official confirmed to The Post that the words were struck
because they do not reflect official policy. Jean-Pierre “misspoke,” they
said.
The White House did not withdraw Jean-Pierre’s characterization of the US
as being open to Ukraine possibly joining NATO, but the strike-through indicates that the answer is not currently a yeah.
The walkback may add to a perception of the Biden administration as quick
to buckle on Russia policy despite often talking tough. Biden appeared to
blink last month on a decision to send warships to the Black Sea over
Russian aggression in Ukraine, following Russia warning the US to stay
away from the area “for their own good.” The Pentagon ordered two US
destroyers to make a U-turn.
And despite Biden spending much of last year shaming then-President Donald Trump for not punishing Putin for alleged Russian bounties to kill US
troops in Afghanistan, the new president quietly backed off the claim as
US spy agencies reported they didn’t have high confidence in its accuracy. Biden instead has emphasized his desire for improved communications
between himself and Putin.
NATO members are committed to collective defense, meaning the US would be obligated by treaty to fight Russia to defend Ukraine if it joined the
bloc. Russia allegedly massed troops near Ukraine this year, sparking
concerns about new large-scale fighting.
Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea, which is internationally recognized as part
of Ukraine. Russia also is accused of backing a pair of breakaway
republics in eastern Ukraine.
In 2004, three countries that formerly belonged to the Soviet Union —
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — joined NATO, poking the Kremlin in the
eye. Although the alliance technically commits members to collective
defense, the obligation isn’t strictly applied.
Ukraine is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in Europe and its politics have vacillated between pro-Russian and pro-Western factions
since the Cold War. In 2014, pro-Western protesters chased out pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych. His ouster sparked counter-protests across
Ukraine’s largely Russian-speaking south and east. Russia annexed Crimea
after a disputed referendum.
In 2018, Putin warned there would be “consequences” if NATO were to
integrate Ukraine, calling the idea “aggressive” and “irresponsible” and a direct threat to Russian national security.
“We will respond appropriately to such aggressive steps, which pose a
direct threat to Russia,” Putin said at the time, according to The
Independent.
“Our colleagues, who are trying to aggravate the situation, seeking to
include, among others, Ukraine and Georgia in the orbit of the alliance,
should think about the possible consequences of such an irresponsible
policy.”
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Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
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Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
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