Press Releases
|
|
|
Print this page |
STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON UKRAINE
February 26, 2013
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today issued the following statement on the European Union’s joint statement at the EU-Ukraine Summit yesterday calling on the Ukrainian government to take “determined action and [make] tangible progress” by May 2013 to reform its judicial system and improve its treatment of prisoners:
“I commend the European Union for maintaining its tough and principled position on Ukraine at yesterday’s EU-Ukraine Summit, especially its call for judicial reform in Ukraine. At a time when the Ukrainian government continues backsliding on its democratic commitments, it is essential for the United States and the European Union to remain united in support of the high standards of political and economic freedom and the rule of law that have always been at the core of our Euro-Atlantic community.
“The EU’s recommendations underscore the need for the Ukrainian government to protect the basic human rights and ensure equal justice for all of its citizens, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who remains unjustly detained for political reasons by the Ukrainian government. Prime Minister Tymoshenko’s ongoing imprisonment is a grave miscarriage of justice, and as I have said before, her case remains a matter of principle that is larger than any one person. The Ukrainian government’s selective and political persecution of its peaceful democratic opponents is an affront to the growth of freedom and prosperity in Ukraine.
“The United States and the EU should continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and work together to support the aspirations of the Ukrainian people for equal justice, economic opportunity, and democracy. It is important for Ukraine’s government and people to know that the path to integration into the Euro-Atlantic community remains open for them. But it is equally important for Ukraine’s leaders and citizens to know that the Euro-Atlantic community is defined by our shared democratic values, and every member – and every aspiring member – of this community has a responsibility to uphold these principles in their countries.”
###