A bipartisan group of U.S. senators traveled to Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials on a trip to show solidarity amid fears of Russian aggression.
We believe that this is a crucial time for us to come, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters between meetings. To Russia, we stand with the Ukrainian people and with this government. In the National Defense Authorization Act, Congress recently passed an increase to $300 million in security funding to Ukraine. With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border, the Biden administration is threatening unprecedented sanctions and other tough measures if Russia takes military action against Ukraine. The administration has prepared a new package of military aid for Ukraine in addition to the U.S. military assistance that is already flowing to Kyiv, current and former officials said.
The congressional delegation included Democratic senators. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Republican senators are among the three people who are indicted. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Roger Wicker of Mississippi are both from North Dakota.
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, a member of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Monday after the meeting with Zelenskyy. We will impose economic sanctions but more important we will give the people of Ukraine the arms, lethal arms, and they need to defend their lives and livelihoods. Ukraine was hit with a massive cyberattack last week that killed more than 70 government websites. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told CBS News on Sunday that the U.S. is still trying to determine who was behind the attack but that this is part of the Russian playbook. If Russia continues to be pummeling Ukraine with cyberattacks, we will work with our allies on the appropriate response, he said.
Cramer, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said Monday that President Joe Biden is right not to wait for congressional authorization as he moves to build a set of multilateral sanctions and that additional action from Capitol Hill may be coming.
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 his allies to bring the crushing set of sanctions before any invasion plans, Cramer said.
Wicker, a fellow of the Armed Service Committee, suggested using the Magnitsky Act to sanction individuals who are in violation of international law. Wicker said there is no doubt that the aggression has already begun.