Anthony Gardner on What’s At Stake for U.S. Foreign Policy

BILL TAYLOR TESTIFIED THAT IF THIS AIDE HAD BEEN ENDLESSLY HELD UP AND IT HADN'T GOT TO UKRAINE.

WHICH WE KNOW IT DID IN THE END.

THE RUSSIANS WOULD BE LAUGHING.

THIS WOULD PLAY RIGHT INTO THEIR PLAYBOOK FOR UKRAINE AND FOR BASICALLY WESTERN INSTI TUGSZS AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE STATEMENT.

UKRAINE, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER COUNTRY DESERVES TO BE TREATED ON ITS MERITS.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT COUNTRY.

AND CRITICAL TO OUR PIE AN SECURITY AND VALUES.

I STILL REMEMBER THOSE IMAGES OF UKRAINIANS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE, BRAVING THE COLD AND DEATH, TO WAVE THE EUROPEAN FLAG, SAYING, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY WHAT WE JUST HEARD FROM THAT TESTIMONY, IS THAT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY WAS TO SAY, YOU DESERVE IT, WE WILL SUPPORTS YOU, AND WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE CAN.

THE IDEA, EVEN THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD SOMEHOW BARTER AWAY THOSE PRINCIPLES FOR DOMESTIC POLITICAL PARTY CONCERNS IS TROUBLING.

NOT FOR A SINGLE SECOND DID I EVER THINK I WAS REPRESENTING A NARROW SET OF POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

I WAS APPOINTED BY A PRESIDENT WHO WAS DEMOCRATIC, PRESIDENT OBAMA.

I'M SURE MY PREDECESSORS WOULD AGREE WITH ME, WE WERE REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, RED AND BLUE.

TELL ME THEN.

YOU SAID RIGHT AS, MAYBE A LITTLE AFTER RUSSIA INVADED EASTERN UKRAINE.

AND IT STILL STANDS.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND NOW FAMOUSLY JOE BIDEN WAS ON THE ANTI-CORRUPTION HUNT IN UKRAINE.

WHAT WAS THE IMPULSE.

WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IN ITS RELATIONS WITH UKRAINE.

HOW DID THIS ANTI-CORRUPTION HUNT GO.

THIS HAS BEEN AN INTEREST OF MANY, MANY PARTIES, DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN OVER MANY YEARS TO SAY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, ANTI-CORRUPTION IS IMPORTANT, IF YOU HAVE CORRUPTION AND POOR GOVERNANCE, AT LEAST A LOT OF OTHER -- MORE SERIOUS ISSUES, COUNTRIES CAN FALL APART, DEGENERATE.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTEREST FOR UKRAINE AND THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE TO SUPPORT ANTI-CORRUPTION.

TRANSPARENCY.