Vermont’s congressional delegation on Tuesday backed President Joe Biden’s announcement of strong new economic sanctions against Russia, enacted in response to what the president called “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., “believes that what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is doing creates enormous problems for Europe and stokes his billionaire ego,” his spokesperson, David Carle, wrote in an emailed statement.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., similarly offered statements condemning Putin’s tactics and supporting Biden’s measures, which include fully blocking two Russian financial institutions, sanctions on Russian debt and targeted sanctions on Russian elites and their families.
Biden’s move comes as eyewitnesses have reportedly seen tanks barreling into Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a speech Monday recognized two pro-Russia separatist regions in Ukraine, stoking fears of further aggression.
At home, Leahy receives several briefings per day on the matter, Carle said. Leahy stresses the need for a “unified response” to Russia, Carle said; absent one, Leahy worries what message Putin’s actions send to China’s President Xi Jinping, who may be motivated to expand into the Pacific.
Sanders, who has for weeks warned of Putin’s intentions “to take over the entire country and destroy Ukrainian democracy,” in a written statement Tuesday called Putin’s latest moves “an indefensible violation of international law.”
“There has always been a diplomatic solution to this situation. Tragically, Putin appears intent on rejecting it,” Sanders said. “The United States must now work with our allies and the international community to impose serious sanctions on Putin and his oligarchs, including denying them access to the billions of dollars that they have stashed in European and American banks.”
Sanders also said the U.S. and allies should get ready to support Ukraine’s neighbors should they begin accepting refugees.
Sanders has continually highlighted the situation in op-eds and floor speeches. In late January, Sanders told WCAX in an interview that he hoped the U.S. could convince Putin that to invade Ukraine would be “just a horrible, horrible idea.”
“In a world where every country is struggling with Covid, where we’re dealing with climate, the idea that Putin would be thinking about invading Ukraine and starting a massive war is totally insane,” Sanders said at the time.
Welch said in a statement Tuesday that he backs Biden’s sanctions, “but we must not abandon our diplomatic efforts to prevent the escalation of this ruinous war.”
“By sending Russian troops to territories in Ukraine, Putin is starting a war of aggression and a war of choice, all to expand territorial Russia,” Welch said. “It violates international law and international norms to respect sovereign national boundaries. It will not end well. War in Ukraine will lead to a humanitarian disaster and have far reaching impacts throughout the world.”
In the immediate future, Welch said, “this is not the time for big oil companies to try to profiteer off of this conflict by dramatically increasing the price of oil.” He said Congress should remain ready to investigate any oil companies who try.
In the long term, Sanders said the U.S. and other nations should work to transition to green energy not just to fight climate change “but to deny authoritarian petrostates the revenues they require to survive.”
