President Donald Trump should immediately push for legislation that would severely increase sanctions against Russia, Sen. Richard Blumenthal told CBS News” Face The Nation” on Sunday.
The Connecticut Democrat said that “this moment cries out for presidential leadership. There is an urgency here.”
Blumenthal was joined in the interview by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. The two senators are co-sponsors on bipartisan legislation to put secondary sanctions on Russia.
Blumenthal emphasized that “the president should call on the Senate to vote approval of the Russian sanctions bill literally tomorrow. He’s on his way tonight to the G7 meeting [in Alberta]. He will be sitting across from world leaders. Right now, very bluntly, the perception may be one of weakness in terms of America’s position on Ukraine. He can be there in a position of strength.”
Blumenthal and Graham also talked about the war between Israel and Iran, with both senators eager to eliminate any possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons.
After Graham said that he urges Trump “to go all in to make sure that when this operation is over, there’s nothing left standing in Iran regarding their nuclear program,” Blumenthal stressed that “a nuclear-armed Iran is a unacceptable threat to the world, not just to Israel, but to the United States as well.”
He added that “I support Israel’s right to defend itself against this existential menace. I’m very concerned right now about United States personnel in the region, our servicemen and women, but also the civilians that are there.”
Blumenthal also said the country “ought to strengthen sanctions against Iran,” to which Graham said, “I’ll be your wingman. We’ll write the bill right here on television. China, if you’re listening, stop buying Russian oil, and stop helping the Iranians. You make the world a safer place if you would stop.”
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