The appearance of US ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton at a dinner at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), has amply shown that she is vying for the office of the world’s most influential politician. Incidentally, this was her third visit this year to Las Vegas, referred to as Sin City. While during her first visit a woman threw a shoe at her, this time Brian Greenspun, editor and publisher of Las Vegas Sun and UNLV trustee, who officiated at the dinner, apologized for that mishap and presented her with a pair of new sneakers. Naturally, everybody viewed this as a hint that she should run for the presidency.
Formally, Clinton was helping her Democratic colleagues raise funds for the mid-term Congressional elections in November, but nevertheless she spoke about education, war, and peace in her speech. Incidentally, Clinton herself was paid 225,000 dollars for participation in the dinner. In all probability, the university will make up for its expenses because an ordinary ticket to the dinner with the ex-secretary of state cost 200 dollars and those who wanted to have a photo taken with Clinton before her speech had to splurge 20,000 dollars for a VIP ticket.
Although Clinton said nothing about her plans to take part in the presidential race, this was clear from her speech, a mixture of light-hearted stories about the people she had mingled with in politics and what she had achieved on the international arena.
She did not shun questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “cold-blooded former KGB agent.”
Clinton added: “In my dealings with Putin, we’ve had an ongoing exchange of argumentation and heated views from time to time. He is someone who can be understood and dealt with. But it takes a long-term strategic commitment.”
She still failed to say how he should be dealt with, only pointing out that world “cannot allow the borders of Europe to be re-written the way Putin is trying to rewrite Ukraine. … That will be bad for us.”
We in Ukraine are very well aware of this being bad. But this also raises a question to the US which is, as one of the Budapest Memorandum signers, a guarantor of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is what people in Washington, including the future contenders for the office of White House head, should answer.
And, as a Ukrainian diplomat told The Day confidentially, it is very alarming that many capitals are saying that one should talk to and make deals with Putin. Judging by Hillary Clinton’s statements at the Las Vegas dinner, her position fits in with this attitude. In reality, the interviewee emphasizes, one must stop, rather than make deals with, Putin. And if it still comes to talking with him, you must have a clear position and never opt for a compromise at the expense of your interests.
