Today, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township), Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation and member of the House Ukraine Caucus released the following statement following the Russian military attack on Ukraine:
"Russia's attack on Ukraine, a sovereign country with the right to self-determination, is unacceptable. I am resolved to work with my colleagues in Congress, President Biden and our transatlantic partners to ensure Russian President Vladimir Putin and others around him are held accountable for this gross violation of the most basic tenets of international order. President Biden is right to impose new sanctions on Russia and I commend Germany for suspending certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and for other U.S. allies and partners, like the EU, Japan and Australia, for imposing their own sanctions.
"In the immediate moment, my heart aches for the Ukrainians who are already suffering from Russia's latest invasion of eastern Ukraine and their loved ones, including my constituents in Michigan's Ukrainian-American community. If the fighting escalates, the toll on civilians will be immense, adding to the 14,000 deaths that have already occurred since Russia's 2014 invasion and creating grave humanitarian and economic crises. I am deeply concerned about the prospect for massive civilian suffering and for the families that will be forced to flee violent conflict.
"I am proud to have long supported sending more defensive lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine; we must ensure that Ukraine continues to have the best tools to defend itself. I have also called for imposing crushing sanctions on the Russian government, Putin and his regime in the event of a new military assault. Now is the time to impose them. We must also prepare to support and protect civilians who are being forcibly displaced by surging humanitarian relief resources where people are fleeing.
"At the same time, with lives and livelihoods of the people of Ukraine, Russia and indeed the international community at stake, I am committed to working with the Biden administration and our European allies to find ways to de-escalate. Recent statements from Russia and NATO indicate there are areas of mutual agreement on nuclear arms control, conventional military force postures and confidence-building measures that can and must be pursued.
"Finally, I call on the international community to focus on supporting the people of Ukraine. We must remain united in the face of Russia's war against Ukraine so that Putin's violent gambit comes at a price the Russian people will not accept."
Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-condemns-latest-russian-military-invasion-applauds-new-sanctions-and
