Republican John McCain has promised to Montenegrin people that he and senators Jeanne Shaheen, Ben Cardin and many others will not stop until the resolution on Montenegro’s accession to NATO is adopted.
“I know I speak for 90-some U.S. Senators with a message to the brave people of Montenegro who are upholding democracy, who have fought against a coup that would have overthrown their government, who cherish freedom, who cherish the alliance that it has held so long for so many years. We will not stop until we ratify your entrance into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I pledge to the people of Montenegro that Senator Shaheen, Senator Cardin, and I, and many other Senators, will not stop until this resolution is passed and we can strengthen not only Montenegro the nation and NATO, but the region,” McCain said.
This pledge followed the Senator Rand Paul’s decision to block the debate and vote on Montenegro-NATO accession protocol in the US Senate, which was previously proposed by Senator John McCain with the support of the two colleagues from the Democratic Party.
So the question is what the next steps are and when the United States could ratify the document.
As the Voice of America was told in the Senate, now it is up to the leader of the Senate majority, Senator Mitch McConnell, to include the discussion on Montenegrin protocol on the Senate’s agenda. If he does that, the protocol will be ratified by overwhelming majority.
McCain launched the question of Montenegro’s NATO membership with the support of senators Ben Cardin and Jeanne Shaheen. McCain asked for unanimous consent for the Senate to discuss and then vote on Montenegrin membership, warning:
“If there are objections, and I notice that the gentleman from Kentucky is here, I’ll tell before I read my request – if there are objections, then you are carrying out the desires and ambitions of Vladimir Putin. You are achieving the objectives of trying to dismember this small country, which has already been the subject of an attempted coup.”
“I object,” Paul said.
His decision to leave the room without explanation has prompted McCain to present a fierce accusation against him, which attracted the attention of the American media.
“I note the senator from Kentucky leaving the floor without justification or any rationale for the action he has just taken. That is really remarkable – that a senator blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 at least of his colleagues, would come to the floor and object and walk away… The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no argument to be made. He has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So, I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin,” he said.
Senators Cardin and Shaheen also sharply reacted.
“I have to agree with Senator McCain – either Senator Paul represents Russian interests in America or he blocks this issue because of something completely unrelated to the accession of Montenegro in NATO,” said Shaheen.
“It is disappointing that one senator is blocking this issue and it affects our national security,” said Cardin.
Later Wednesday evening, Paul argued that US resources are being stretched by multiple commitments.
“Currently, the United States has troops in dozens of countries and is actively fighting in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen (with the occasional drone strike in Pakistan),” Paul said. “In addition, the United States is pledged to defend 28 countries in NATO. It is unwise to expand the monetary and military obligations of the United States given the burden of our $20 trillion debt.”
Yesterday he responded to the McCain’s accusations, saying that the senator from Arizona was “unhinged”.
The Wednesday’s Senate’s session, at which a number of pressing domestic issues were discussed, will be continued on Tuesday 21 March.
