John McCain

I think that's what this is really about.

You cannot act independently anymore without worrying about my actions.

We have, in Europe and in the Middle East, an array of states that want to work with us.

We have to be very strong in what we're going to do.

I think we've been off balance in Syria since Assad violated the red lines and used chemical and biological weapons on his own people.

I believe his calculation--and it's a correct one--is that we get paralyzed by the fear of escalation and by the fear of confrontation.

I think it is a seminal event when a country launches cruise missiles from 900 miles away on a target that--on targets that are the people that we have supported, trained, and equipped, and sent in to fight.

These sanctions may not have altered Putin's strategic calculus in the Ukraine, but they have raised a cost to his actions.

Russian actions reflect the new nationalism of Russian public opinion.

There is still time to expand the United States military training of Ukraine battalions.

Mr. Putin acknowledges strength, and he exploits weakness.

I'm absolutely convinced that Russia--you know, the psychological bully that they are with a national chip on their shoulder since the collapse of the Soviet Union in '91, I believe they are absolutely convinced they can have their way…

I have been deeply disappointed by Russia's actions in Syria, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, and the negative effect these actions have had on the United States 09Russian relationship.

Part of that effort must be to reaffirm NATO's open-door policy.

Had the United States imposed a no-fly zone in Syria 3 years ago, there would be no Russian intervention today.

Failure to offer greater support to Ukraine... would send a message of weakness that would invite the very aggression we seek to avoid.

As the old saying goes, Mr. Putin's appetite is growing with the eating.

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea forced a recognition... that we're confronting a challenge...

Weakness is not something that we should show, because people like Mr. Putin will draw the wrong conclusions.

I believe we need a global alliance to deal with it.

I think we should consider really elevating NATO in this, an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council, to shore up and demonstrate the alliance's resolve.

I think we have to return to our rules, which were established at the end of the second World War, international legal norms.

I don't believe the Syria operation in any way, shape, or form will hold him back for exerting his national interests in the Baltics and eastern Europe.

What we should have said right from the outset is that, 'We're going to fly our airplanes wherever we want, when we want, and what you should do'... 'is avoid that, or else face confrontation.'

Having said that, President Putin will not be in power forever.