Obama should go to Kiev, now

President Kennedy famously said that if people want to see the greatness of freedom over communism, let them come to Berlin. With Russian President Vladimir Putin sounding the winds of war in his visit to Crimea, President Obama should go to Kiev.

{mosads}I have written repeatedly in The Hill condemning the actions of Putin, praising the resolve of Secretary of State John Kerry, and calling on both the U.S. and our European allies to make it clear that if Russian troops cross the border of Ukraine, or if Russian subversion continues to sabotage the coming elections in Ukraine on May 25, full-sector sanctions should be imposed against Russia.

Full sanctions include oil, gas, banking, minerals and arms sales.

If Obama visits Ukraine in the coming hours and days and make this forceful position clear, it will be a powerful message to the people of Ukraine, to our friends in Europe, to the world community, and to the little man in Moscow who has just visited Crimea sounding his trumpet with tones reminiscent of Napoleon.

You can assume that I have whispered the following advice into the ears of more than one person of influence in Washington in recent hours:

President Putin has gone to Crimea.

President Kennedy went to Berlin;

President Obama should go to Kiev.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.