April 28, 2006

McCain Addresses Europe; Hints At Broader Foreign Policy Vision

To an audience in Brussels today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
made clear he envisions a mutually humble -- yet unwavering and principled -- US relationship with Europe.

McCain said Europe and the US should partner to promote democracy in the world through "strong and legitimate international institutions" and through vigorous diplomacy.

"Whether we turn our attention to the regime in Iran, the displaced in Sudan, troops under NATO command in Afghanistan, or to our own citizens, individuals everywhere look to the United States and Europe for unity and leadership," McCain said. "They know that we pursue not just narrow self-interest, but seek the blessings of liberty for all. They, like us, know that the scope of our activities is, by necessity, ambitious and global. And they know -- or they should know -- that we will work together. The world needs the United States and Europe together, and it needs us now."

"[We] have traveled a great distance since 1944, and a long way even since 2004," he said, hinting that he strongly approves of how Sec/State Condi Rice has stewarded the US/EU alliance in the past year and a half.

Meeting the challenge faced by Iran poses a test for both transatlantic partners, McCain said.

McCain calls more "more coercive" measures to block Iran from further developing its nuclear weapons capacity.

"The Security Council should impose multilateral sanctions, including a prohibition on investment, a travel ban, and asset freezes for government leaders and nuclear scientists. In taking these steps at the UN, China and Russia should know that their decisions on the Iranian issue will be a key test of our relations."

McCain also took Russia task, in language more direct than most US policy-makers are willing to use.

"In recent years Moscow has pursued increasingly troubling foreign and domestic policies, and the trends continue to worsen. In the past few months alone, Russia has used its natural gas supplies to punish democratic Ukraine in the middle of winter, embargoed the import of wine from Moldova and Georgia, invited Hamas to Moscow, expressed public opposition to sanctioning Iran, and taken several steps to link North and South Ossetia. The Kremlin pursues greater autocracy at home and undermines democracy abroad."

He ended with a humble note.

"Not only do we seek European leadership, we believe it is necessary to make the world a better, safer place for our interests and our values," he said. "This means true leadership -- not a group of countries that merely follows American directives, as some fear, nor a coalition that opposes American power simply because of its country of origin, as others suggest."

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has more on McCain and also on what Sen. John Edwards was doing at the same conference.

Posted at 03:05 PM

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