Political Quotes

“I rise to speak to an issue relative to the nation of Ukraine. It is the continued imprisonment of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Sadly, for over 2 years now, she has been languishing in prison on politicized charges that she abused her position in connection with a natural gas contract with Russia. This is a photo showing the former Prime Minister's trial in Ukraine. This occurred, as I said, more than 2 years ago. I am not going to judge the wisdom of that contract--one of an endless series of policy decisions any chief executive makes in most nations. But this is an imprisonment that has been recognized by the international community and countless human rights organizations and by the European Court of Human Rights as selectively prosecuted and politically motivated. This is an imprisonment that has a whiff of the neighboring nation of Belarus, where those who run for President against strongman dictator Alexander Lukashenko not only always lose the election but virtually always get thrown in jail--talk about a disincentive to run for office--but not from Ukraine, which has looked to solidify its place among the community of democracies, do we expect this kind of conduct. When I visited Ukraine last May, I had the opportunity to meet with President Yanukovich, the Prime Minister, and the Foreign Minister. I was grateful they gave me their time. During those discussions, I always raised the issue of Ms.…”