Rep. Senator John McCain of Arizona wrote an op-ed piece for the Russian outlet, Pravda, calling Russian President Putin “corrupt” and bad for the Russian people. The piece comes at a time when Putin has a great deal of responsibility in getting Syria to forfeit its chemical weapons. More attention is being drawn to the Russian president, and McCain wanted voice his opinions, because it is likely that the Russian people could not.
In the piece, McCain wrote: “President Putin doesn’t believe in these values [of freedom]because he doesn’t believe in you. He doesn’t believe that human nature at liberty can rise above its weaknesses and build just, peaceful, prosperous societies. Or, at least, he doesn’t believe Russians can. So he rules by using those weaknesses, by corruption, repression and violence. He rules for himself, not you.”
McCain also responded the label he was receiving of “anti-Russian”. “Since my purpose here is to dispel falsehoods used by Russia’s rulers to perpetuate their power and excuse their corruption, let me begin with that untruth,” McCain wrote. “I am not anti-Russian. I am pro-Russian, more pro-Russian than the regime that misrules you today.”
It also turns out that McCain may have intended for his piece to be published somewhere different from the website Pravda.ru. There is a Russian newspaper called Pravda, and McCain has talked about wanting to be published in that newspaper. However, Pravda.ru is not connected with Pravda, and therefore people are wondering whether he really intended for his piece to end up there.
