WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republican Policy Chairman, Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) issued the following statement condemning today’s Russian invasion of Georgia:
Watching the Russian tanks and planes rolling into the sovereign country of Georgia eerily echoes the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Because ending this Russian invasion and avoiding an escalation of this conflict is critical to the liberty and stability of Central and Eastern Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev must immediately and unconditionally terminate this invasion and remove all Russian troops and armaments from the sovereign soil of Georgia.
Already, in retaliation for international political disagreements with free and sovereign nations, Russia has cut the Czech Republic's crude oil supplies by forty percent in retaliation; threatened military action against both the Czech Republic and the United States; cyber-attacked Lithuanian and Estonian government and private websites; and encroached upon Lithuanian air space, amongst other provocative actions.
Clearly, this invasion of Georgia is no isolate crisis; it is a dangerous component of Russia’s revanchist attempt to economically and militarily compel her former prisoners into a newly minted submission.
Thus, I urge President George Bush and the leaders of our Free World to concertedly work to defend the sovereignty, security, and liberty of the Georgian people.
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