Feinstein calls on Putin to ‘man up’

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin should “man up” and acknowledge his government’s complicity in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

“The nexus between Russia and the separatists has been established very clearly,” Feinstein said Sunday on CNN.

“The issue is: where is Putin? I would say, Putin, you have to man up. You should talk to the world. You should say this was a mistake, if it was a mistake.”

The comment from Feinstein came after Secretary of State John Kerry provided new evidence linking the plane disaster to Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

While Kerry said it’s “pretty clear” the separatists were responsible and benefited from Russian help, he declined to directly blame the Kremlin.

Agreeing that tensions with Russia are back to Cold War levels, Feinstein said the tragedy should produce a global backlash against Putin’s government and the separatist “thugs.”

She specifically called on Germany to lead a united European response to the crisis.

“The world has to rise up and say, ‘We’ve had enough of this,'” she said. “I think Europe has to come together. I think Germany in particular has to lead.”