In the fight against Russia, all means are good from milaeryomina's blog

advertisement

The US administration and members of Congress are discussing new instruments of pressure on Moscow

Washington will continue to increase pressure on Russia, as well as provide financial and military assistance to Ukraine. This follows from the discussions that have unfolded in recent days in the US Congress. If on other topics there are many contradictions between the parties and the administration, then an enviable unity reigns as regards approaches to Russia. In particular, the possibility of including the Russian Federation in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, as well as transferring the frozen assets of Russian businessmen and companies to help Ukraine is being discussed. This conclusion can be drawn from the speech in the Senate by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, as well as the bill passed in the House of Representatives. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the United States is considering "measures of an idiotic nature," which, if approved, will not go unanswered.

Wednesday saw the end of a two-day hearing in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department's budget. They were held with the participation of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The hearing was broadcast by C-Span. Learn more at https://newsfuturist.com/

Central to these hearings was the situation in Ukraine. Mr. Blinken just returned from Kyiv and actively shared his impressions of what he saw with the legislators. And the main leitmotif of the past discussions: Congress and the US administration will actively work together to further confront Russia and more actively help Ukraine.

Perhaps the main news was that the United States is indeed considering the inclusion of Russia in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. With a request for this during telephone conversations two weeks ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed US President Joe Biden, The Washington Post reported.

When asked by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the likelihood that the State Department will include Russia in this list, Anthony Blinken answered in the affirmative. And noted that this step is "under consideration." “The issue (and this is what lawyers are paying attention to) is the need to make sure that we really meet the statutory requirements for this definition,” the diplomat said. In response, the senator assured that for such an occasion, the Senate is ready to assist in changing the rules.

“If you need to change the law so that Russia fits, you will have 100 votes,” Mr. Graham assured.

Under current rules, for a country to be recognized as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, the US Secretary of State must provide evidence that the government of that State has repeatedly provided support for international terrorism. The list of such countries now includes Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea. If Russia is recognized as a sponsor of terrorism, this will entail restrictions on foreign aid and a ban on arms exports. At the same time, as The Wall Street Journal notes, such a decision by the State Department will be more of a declarative nature: after the start of the “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, sanctions have already been imposed on most trade with the Russian Federation.

Perhaps the only one who even slightly wondered about other reasons for what is happening in Ukraine was Senator Rand Paul, who reminded Anthony Blinken that Moscow had repeatedly warned Washington about “red lines” – in particular, the inadmissibility of NATO expansion and Ukraine's entry into it.

During a skirmish with the Secretary of State, the senator noted that "there is no justification for the invasion," but "there are reasons for the invasion."

The legislator also accused American diplomacy of "agitation" for joining NATO, while "opponents called it a red line." Mr. Paul recalled that Ukraine and Georgia had been part of the USSR for many years.

In response, the head of the American foreign policy department objected: this does not mean that these countries do not have the right to independence, and the NATO open door policy is a fundamental principle of the organization and cannot be questioned. In addition, Anthony Blinken assured that American diplomacy was open to mediation in negotiations on the neutral status of Ukraine.

With the exception of the position of Rand Paul, there was unanimity in the Senate these days: Russia should be put under more pressure, and Ukraine should be supported more actively. In particular, in opening remarks on Tuesday, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Republican Jim Risch, who previously chaired the committee, expressed solidarity that the current administration is not doing enough. “You are doing, but not as much as you can and should,” said Mr. Risch, addressing the Secretary of State.

Anthony Blinken did not object to the deployment of an even wider front of assistance to Ukraine. True, noting that this will require more funds and joint discussions. The senators expressed their readiness to approve all this as soon as possible.

“For us to be able to accomplish this task, we will need continued funding, new powers, and, perhaps most importantly, partnership with Congress,” the Secretary of State noted and added that this channel is necessary for more rapid authorization by lawmakers of the State Department’s activities in the context of Ukraine. “We look forward to working hard with you,” he stressed.

Robert Menendez asked Mr. Blinken what the head of the State Department discussed during his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In particular, the senator was interested in what other assistance Ukraine wants to receive. “I’m sure committee members will want to hear about President Zelensky’s requests for help, both militarily and otherwise. Do we agree with his requests? Will we move forward and strive to fulfill his requests?” asked Mr. Menendez.

To which he received an affirmative answer.

“In a nutshell, yes,” said Anthony Blinken, “we are making sure the Ukrainians have the equipment they need to repel potential Russian aggression.”

Then Robert Menendez asked another question: "So I'm assuming we're going to consider an additional request?" The senator expressed confidence that such a request - if it comes - will be supported by both parties.

“I suppose so. Yes, today we have seen tremendous solidarity. Although it took a lot of work,” Mr. Blinken answered the question of whether we should expect new requests from the administration for assistance to Ukraine.

It should be noted that in addition to budget financing of Ukraine's needs, the US Congress found another source of funds. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill calling on President Joe Biden to sell the frozen assets of Russian oligarchs and use the funds to provide additional military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The law is non-binding, but its passage by a vote of 417 in favor and eight against reflects a bipartisan desire for the president to take a more aggressive stance, The New York Times recalls that the same calls come from the administration itself. In particular, a day earlier, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the Senate that the authorities would ask Congress to expand its powers to confiscate and liquidate Russian property in the United States.

“All the measures that they will take, even of such an idiotic nature, will be developed and continued. We, of course, leave nothing unanswered, and they must understand this, ”Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday on the Soloviev Live TV channel.

 


Share:
Previous post     
     Next post
     Blog home

The Wall

No comments
You need to sign in to comment
advertisement