A bipartisan group of U.S. senators traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials on a trip designed to show solidarity with Ukraine amid fears of Russian aggression.
“We believe that this is a crucial time for us to come,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told reporters in between meetings. “To Russia: We stand with the Ukrainian people and with this government. In fact, Congress recently passed an increase to $300 million in security funding to Ukraine in the National Defense Authorization Act.”
With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s border, the Biden administration is threatening unprecedented sanctions and other tough steps if Russia takes military action against Ukraine. The Biden administration also has prepared a new U.S. package of military aid for Ukraine, in addition to the American military assistance that is already flowing to Kyiv, current and former officials said.
Apart from Portman, the congressional delegation included Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kevin Cramer R-N.D., Amy Klobuchar, D-M.N., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
“I think Vladimir Putin has made the biggest mistake of his career in underestimating how courageously the people of Ukraine will fight him if he invades,” Blumenthal told reporters later Monday following the meeting with Zelenskyy. “And we will impose crippling economic sanctions, but more important, we will give the people of Ukraine the arms, lethal arms they need to defend their lives and livelihood.”
The visit comes days after Ukraine recovered from a massive cyberattack that downed more than 70 government websites. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CBS on Sunday that the U.S. was still working to determine who was behind the attack, but that “this is part of the Russian playbook.”
“If it turns out that Russia is pummeling Ukraine with cyberattacks, and if that continues over the period ahead, we will work with our allies on the appropriate response,” he said.
Cramer said Monday that President Joe Biden is “right to not wait for Congressional authorization” as he moves to “build a set of multilateral sanctions” on Russia, and that additional action from Capitol Hill may be forthcoming.
“My belief is that we will be able to come together in Congress around the sanctions authority to make sure that President Biden has everything he needs, and is coordinated with our allies, to bring the crushing set of sanctions before any invasion plans,” Cramer said.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., suggested using the Magnitsky Act to sanction “actual individuals who are violating international law.”
“There is no question the aggression has already begun,” Wicker said.
— via www.nbcnews.com
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk