McCain responded to Biden's remarks about Russia. McCain mocks Biden: 'Or else what?'

Sen. John McCain was unimpressed with Vice President Joe Biden’s comments in Ukraine on Tuesday and the Arizona Republican suggested that the Obama administration was not backing up its tough talk against Russia.

Speaking in Ukraine, the vice president said that “we call on Russia to stop supporting men hiding behind masks in unmarked uniforms sewing unrest in eastern Ukraine.” McCain, appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday, responded to Biden’s remarks with a question: “Or else what?”


“Or else what?” McCain repeated. “If they continue to do this, what will we do?”

( Also on POLITICO: Biden: U.S. stands with Ukraine)

The Senate Armed Services Committee member has been a frequent critic of the Obama administration on many foreign policy issues, including Ukraine and Syria. On Tuesday, McCain said the administration needs to show greater support for Ukraine and back up its rhetoric. He also urged the White House to “tell the American people why it’s important that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression not continue.”

“It’s time we said the people of Ukraine deserve free and fair elections, they deserve our support,” McCain said.

He also said that President Barack Obama “does not appreciate, in my view, the importance of American leadership.”

Appearing later Tuesday morning on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom,” McCain continued his critique of the vice president’s speech and the Obama administration’s stance on Ukraine, which he called “disgraceful.”

After watching clips of Biden’s speech, McCain responded: “Well, when he said it’s time to act and not have rhetoric, why don’t we act? Why don’t we sanction some more people? Why don’t we say that we’ve got a plan to give them energy independence? Why don’t we give them defensive weapons so they can defend themselves?”

The Arizona Republican did say that the additional $50 million in aid to Ukraine offered by the Obama administration is “helpful,” but said the Ukrainians “have had their country dismembered. Crimea is gone.”

McCain also echoed other Republicans who have accused Obama of weakness on foreign policy. On Putin, McCain said, “We are begging him to come around and negotiate and talk and all that, and he just moves steadily on. And it is disgraceful and the rhetoric does not match the action.”

Continuing his critique of Obama, McCain concluded: “This president does not believe in American exceptionalism, America’s role of leading the world.”