Earlier today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken torched Rand Paul's Russian propaganda claim that the reason Russia invaded Ukraine was over their possible inclusion into NATO.
During today's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sen Paul tried to blame the US and other NATO nations for agitating Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine.
Blinken said, "If you look at the countries Russia has attacked over the last years -- these are countries not part of NATO. They do not attack NATO countries for probably good reason."
Paul replied, "You could also argue the countries they attacked were part of Russia. Were part of the Soviet Union."
This is Putin's propaganda, which Sen. Paul gave credibility to.
Blinken replied, "I firmly disagree with that proposition. It is the fundamental right of these countries to decide their own future and own destiny."
Sen. Paul argued that countries like Georgia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union since the 1920's, which has no bearing whatsoever on what's happening in Ukraine in 2022.
Sec. Blinken, "But that does not give Russia the right to attack them."
"No one is saying it does, " Paul replied.
Blinken explained the administration took those concerns seriously the arguments Russia made before the invasion.
"We sought to engage them."
"It is abundantly clear in president Putin's own words that this was never about Ukraine being potentially part of NATO, and it was always about his belief that Ukraine does not deserve to be a sovereign, independent country, that it must be re-assumed into Russia in one form or another," Blinken stated.
Sen. Paul has trolled the United States over supporting Ukraine's right of independence and every complaint he made was dispatched with by Sec. Blinken easily.
