Rand Paul argues US should not have backed Ukraine's NATO aspirations, citing Russia's stated reasoning behind invasion
CNN
Secretary of State Antony Blinken forcefully pushed back Tuesday when Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky pointed out that Ukraine and Georgia were once part of the Soviet Union as Paul appeared to raise Moscow's alleged rationale about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I firmly disagree with that proposition," Blinken said during a congressional hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in responding to Paul's assertion that "you could argue" that the countries Russia has attacked were part of the Soviet Union. Paul seemed to indicate Russia's anger about Ukraine possibly joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- especially given it used to be in the Soviet Union -- could have triggered the invasion.
The back and forth was prompted by Paul questioning why the US had been "agitating" for Ukraine to join NATO last fall, which was something Russia ardently opposed as a "red line."
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