How Would McCain Mediate A Russia-Georgia Conflict?
How Would McCain Mediate A Russia-Georgia Conflict?
Russia’s invasion of Georgia today raises some questions about how a McCain administration might deal with a crisis like this.
McCain’s main foreign policy adviser and spokesperson, Randy Scheunemann, is a former registered lobbyist for the Republic of Georgia. Back in April, in an interview with Radio Free Europe, Scheunemann took a strongly pro-Georgia anti-Russia line, insisting that the United States should move forward with missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as supporting the NATO membership of Ukraine and Georgia, regardless of the negative consequences that these policies would likely have for U.S.-Russia relations.
Given McCain’s provocative statements regarding Russia, it’s clear that he shares Scheunemann’s hardline views on the subject. As we wrote last month, this has troubling implications for the prospect of Russia’s essential cooperation in dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. But is also raises the question of how a McCain administration — staffed by committed Georgian partisans like Randy Scheunemann — could conceivably be seen as an honest broker for dealing with the growing crisis between Russia and Georgia?
UPDATE: The McCain campaign issued a statement calling on Russia to “immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory,” and calling for the international community “to establish a truly independent and neutral peacekeeping force in South Ossetia.”
As Jonathan Martin notes, McCain has taken a much harder pro-Georgia line on the situation than the Bush administration. It remains to be seen how a McCain administration could productively mediate such a conflict, especially given Randy Scheunemann’s past statements dismissing diplomatic “trade offs” with Russia as “kind of a relic of a bygone era of power politics.”
UPDATE 2: Rob Farley has this analysis, also noting here Georgia’s bombardment last night of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, which prompted today’s Russian action in support of Georgian separatists.
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4 Responses to “How Would McCain Mediate A Russia-Georgia Conflict?”
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The first thing John would do is consult with Czechoslavakia. Then he’d build on his success solving conflicts along the Iraq-Pakistan border. With that firm foundation, John’s the man to solve the problem. That he’d do, my friend.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:14 amHe’d probably combine a “china drilling 90 miles off American” type falsehood with his talent for republican geographical inaccuracies and run an advert saying Obama doesn’t care that the Russians are occupying a southern state of the US.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pmIf I need to explain that………….
August 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pmAs the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia threatens to explode into all-out war between Georgia and Russia, Republican presidential nominee John McCain weighed in. “What’s most critical now,” McCain said, “is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces.” But given his confused and contradictory statements about expelling Russia from the G8, what may be most critical to American voters is whether John McCain understands what he’s talking about.
For the details, see:
August 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pm“Fighting in Georgia Highlights McCain’s Confusion Over Russia.”