The international treaty, which would annex Montenegro into NATO’s sphere and incorporate the state into the United Nations, was met with objection in December from Paul as well as Mike Lee of Utah. International treaties require a two-thirds majority to pass.
McCain asked the president of the Senate for permission to call up a resolution for the US to ratify the agreement. "I object," Paul said, before promptly leaving the floor of the Senate.
"That is really remarkable, that a senator blocking a treaty that is supported by the overwhelming number, perhaps 98 – at least – of his colleagues would come to the floor and object and walk away," McCain said.
"The only conclusion you can draw when he walks away is he has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin."
The Twittersphere quickly reacted by wondering whether McCain had uncovered a Russian sleeper agent, or perhaps simply needed a nap himself. Others suggested he had gone insane, or just needs to retire already.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) March 15, 2017
— david w. thompson (@dwthompson1945) March 15, 2017
Washington has already deployed troops in "dozens of countries and is actively fighting in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen (with the occasional drone strike in Pakistan)," Paul said in a statement following the event. "The United States is pledged to defend 28 countries in NATO. It is unwise to expand the monetary and military obligations of the United States given the burden of our $20 trillion debt."
