Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul says the U.S. should keep its hands off of the quickly developing situation in Ukraine and let the country solve its own problems, arguing that Americans understand “that our interventionist foreign policy is only creating more enemies overseas.”
“If you asked most Americans how they feel, my bet is that you would discover they are sick and tired of the US government getting involved in every crisis that arises,” Mr. Paul, Texas Republican, wrote in his weekly column under the headline “Leave Ukraine Alone!” “Certainly the American people want none of this intervention in Ukraine.”
The Obama administration has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to react too aggressively to fast-moving developments in Ukraine, where pro-Western demonstrators forced the country’s Moscow-backed president from power over the weekend.
“Perhaps Ukraine engaged in peaceful trade with countries both to the west and east would benefit all sides,” Mr. Paul wrote. “But outside powers seem to be fighting a proxy war, with Ukraine suffering the most because of it.”
Mr. Paul, who has been one of the most outspoken GOP critics of the United States’ overseas military adventurism in the past decade, said all Americans need to do “is put ourselves in the place of the Ukrainians and ask ourselves how we would feel if we were in the middle of a tug-of-war between a very strong Canada on one side and a very strong Mexico on the other.”
“We would resent it as well,” he wrote. “So let’s keep our hands off of Ukraine and let them solve their own problems!”
SEE ALSO: U.S. warns Russia to keep its military out of Ukraine
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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