President Barack Obama should be taking a stronger leadership position and provide arms to Ukraine in their fight against Russian-backed separatists, said Rep. Peter King.
"It's terrible, allowing this type of offensive being carried out by the Russians and by their … proxies in Ukraine," the New York Republican said Tuesday on CNN's
"The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
He said he is finding increasing numbers of Republicans and Democrats who favor arming Ukraine, even though German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Obama this week she opposes the move.
"We can't let our policy be decided by Angela Merkel. We're the leaders of the free world," King said. "When the president — the way he vacillates, he allows others to come in — whether it's King Abdullah in Jordan, whether it's Angela Merkel in Europe, we have the major role to play and the president does not play it."
King dismissed arguments that the weaker Ukrainian army might allow the weapons to fall into the hands of the Russian separatists.
"The Russians can always give their proxies those weapons anyway," King said. "By arming the Ukrainians, they can make it difficult for the Russians, make them suffer, make them pay a price. Assuming those weapons are lost, Russia is not going to be any stronger than it is today."
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