Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul warned President Barack Obama to avoid any entanglement with the pro-Western revolt sweeping through Ukraine, declaring “the further we stay away from there, the better.”

The former Texas congressman — well-known for his libertarian views on the economy and foreign policy — spoke with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto about the unrest rattling Kiev and other major cities in Ukraine. Earlier on Wednesday, Obama promised “consequences if people step over the line,” singling out the pro-Putin government in particular (RELATED: Did Obama just set a red line on Ukraine? [VIDEO])

Paul urged the White House to tone down the rhetoric. “I would be willing to wager that most of the people in the Ukraine would like the see the United States stay out, I think they’d like to see the Russians stay out.” He later added he hopes the unrest “doesn’t aggravate the contest between the West — the Europeans and the Americans — against the Russians, because that wouldn’t be good for the Ukrainians.”

“I think talking and diplomacy is the answer here,” he continued. “Why would we have to witness a civil war going on in there, and then us getting involved? I think the further we stay away from there the better.”

Cavuto asked Paul whether an aloof United States could be seen by our enemies as a “wavering” response. “We could use a lot more wavering,” the former congressman quipped. “I think the more procrastination the better. [Senator] McCain is saying, ‘We need to go over there, we need to send troops in,’ or some silly thing.”

“But here the two leaders of the two factions are talking, and that’s the way it should be,” he said, referencing ongoing truce talks. “The Ukrainian people should do this.”

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