Brian Mefford: Kremlin, Lyovochkin team up to harm Ukraine in Washington, D.C.
Cost and benefits of DC lobbying:
On June 10, the US House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Defense Department Appropriations Bill to ban Ukraine from receiving MANPADS anti-aircraft missiles and prevent any US assistance to the Azov Battalion.
The amendment (H. Amdt. 492) passed by a voice vote and the overall bill received 278 votes (out of 435). Representative John Conyers (Dem-Michigan 13) and Representative Ted Yoho (Republican – Florida 18) were the bill sponsors.
The amendment’s passage came as a shock for Ukraine and a public relations bonanza for Russia. Rep. Conyers went on record to say, “I am grateful that the House of Representatives unanimously passed my amendments last night to ensure that our military does not train members of the repulsive neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, along with my measures to keep the dangerous and easily trafficked MANPADs out of these unstable regions.”
Rep. Conyers went on to note that Malaysian Airlines flight 17 (MH 17) was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile in Donetsk, without noting that all evidence clearly points to the missile being fired by the Russian backed forces.
Thus, in one statement, the longest currently serving member of the US House of Representatives (26th term) accused Ukrainian forces of being “neo-Nazi” as well gave the Russians a free pass on the downing of MH 17. No doubt there were celebratory toasts for “Comrade Conyers” in the Kremlin that night. However, what was most surprising was not that the amendment was introduced, but the rapid and unexpected nature of its passage.
