Vivek Ramaswamy said Russia must abandon military alliances with China (File)
Washington:
To meet the growing challenge from China, it is important not to abandon Russia in Beijing, Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on Thursday, assuring that if elected he would achieve this goal by offering a “deal.” with China would reach Moscow.
Mr Ramaswamy told Fox News that as US president he would offer to freeze the current lines of control between Ukraine and Russia, make a firm commitment that NATO will not admit Ukraine into them and lift sanctions. In return, Russia would have to withdraw from its military alliance with China, he said.
“Very clear view. I would make a deal that (Vladimir) Putin would say yes to, but that actually advances American interests so that the United States wins. Here’s what I would do,” Mr. Ramaswamy said when asked how he would stop the war in Ukraine.
“I would freeze the current lines of control. In addition, I would make a firm commitment that NATO will not admit Ukraine into NATO. That’s enough to convince Putin to sign the deal. But I demand something even greater in return,” said the 38-year-old multimillionaire and biotech entrepreneur.
“Russia must abandon its military alliances with China. At the moment we are pushing Russia further into China’s hands. The military alliance between Russia and China is the greatest threat facing the United States today. And just like Nixon did it in 1972, I will do it in reverse,” Mr Ramaswamy said.
“Withdraw Russia from China and, at the same time, ensure that Russia also abandons its military presence in the Western Hemisphere. Leave the western hemisphere. If you resume economic relations with Russia, that’s how we do it,” he added.
The Indian-American presidential candidate said the reason China is more valuable today is because the US has unfairly cut Russia off from the West by bombing the Nord Stream One and Two pipelines and also imposing sanctions on Russia.
“So if we can resume Western economic relations with Russia, Russia will have fewer reasons to partner with China. If you look closely, there are also chinks in the armor of this relationship,” he said.
“Russia has actually sent weapons to both India and Vietnam, both of which border China. They are sending a signal that China wants to build a railway in northeastern China to get to the sea. Russia will not allow them. So there are chinks in the armor now,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, another Indian-origin Republican presidential candidate and former governor of South Carolina, criticized Mr. Ramaswamy for his comments that he opposed the use of military force by the US against Iran.
“We will not stop Israel from defending itself by all means. And we continue to support Israel because it is our friend,” Mr. Ramaswamy had told the Israel Hayom.
“I think it’s really important that the United States doesn’t risk our own men and women in a war with Iran, even though there’s actually no reason for us to be in such a war now, and I don’t think so That’s good for the United States, and I don’t think that’s good for Israel. But what we need to do is ensure that Israel is strong so that Iran is not emboldened,” Ramaswamy told the Israeli newspaper.
“It must have escaped Vivek’s attention that Iran’s fanatical terrorist regime regularly chants ‘Death to America,'” Haley said in a statement.
“If he doesn’t see a nuclear Iran as a threat to American security, then he should take his place alongside AOC and the Squad and stay away from the White House,” she said, referring to Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez and a group of eight Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives known as the Squad.
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