Democrats are imposing harsh sanctions on Russia in the Senate in the event of an invasion of Ukraine

 

 Senior senators from the US Democratic Party on Wednesday will unveil a new package of sanctions that Russia will face if it invades Ukraine. The initiative has the support of the White House, writes The Washington Post.

The initiative, chaired by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, effectively apologized to Democrats, who were publicly hesitant to vote in favor of a bill that would impose sanctions on Russia for Nord Stream 2.

 Although Democratic senators have widely backed sanctions against Moscow in the past, it now risks potentially embarrassing defeat for the Biden administration, especially at a time when it is holding sensitive diplomatic talks abroad to stem Russia's potential invasion of Eastern Europe. the newspaper.

In a statement Wednesday, Menendez said the penalties outlined in his bill "make it absolutely clear that the US Senate will not remain indifferent as the Kremlin threatens to re-invade Ukraine."

 Menendez said the law sends a clear message to Russia: "Putin must not collapse his entire economy, nor must he sacrifice the lives of his own people in a futile attempt to redraw the map of Europe."

The law, obtained by The Washington Post before its publication, will impose broad sanctions on senior Russian military and government officials, including Putin and other leaders, as well as key banking institutions if Moscow engages in military action against Ukraine. It will also target companies in Russia that offer secure messaging systems such as SWIFT, which banks use to exchange key information with other financial institutions.

 It also includes provisions to support Ukraine's security. Calling Nord Stream 2 an "instrument for the malicious influence of the Russian Federation," the law encourages the United States to "consider all available and appropriate measures" to ensure that the pipeline does not become operational.

There is little optimism as Russia and NATO meet over growing tensions in Europe.

 A National Security Council spokesman told The Washington Post that the White House supports Menendez's bill - which will "trigger serious costs for the Russian economy" if Putin invades Ukraine - and that other measures, such as Cruz's, " they will not be enough to stop further Russian aggression or defend Ukraine. "

 "Instead, it will undermine our efforts to contain Russia and remove the leverage that the United States and our allies and partners have at the moment to gain political points at home," said the spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And this will come at a time when we need to be closely united with our European partners, including Germany. There's no point".