Blumenthal calls on the US to strengthen air defense and sanctions against the aggressor state
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, following a trip to Ukraine, called on the United States to strengthen air defense and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation — the aggressor state. In an interview with CBS News, he said that he visited Dnipro and Bucha and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Blumenthal, in Dnipro he visited a military hospital where severely wounded soldiers from the front are brought. The senator also said that in Bucha he visited sites where, at the beginning of the full-scale war, Russian military personnel, according to him, killed hundreds of civilians and buried them in mass graves. He added that he met with some of the children who, he claimed, had been abducted.
Ukraine's priorities
Blumenthal said that Zelenskyy identified three priorities for him: passing a bill on sanctions against Russia, supplying air defense equipment, and providing Starlink. According to the senator, Ukraine needs satellite communications to strike targets on Russian territory before missiles and drones are launched.
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In Blumenthal's view, warnings to Moscow are insufficient without a demonstration of strength. He said there is a need for additional PAC-3 interceptors, long-range artillery and HIMARS, as well as means to strike launch sites and the production of Russian drones and missiles.
Sanctions bill
The senator supported a sanctions bill targeting buyers of Russian oil and gas. According to him, the document in the Senate was supported by 86 votes to 11. It provides additional authority for sanctions against oligarchs and financial institutions, measures against the shadow fleet, as well as limited tariff mechanisms regarding the five largest buyers of Russian energy resources.
Blumenthal said that US European allies would not be subject to these tariffs. He expressed hope for support for the bill in the House of Representatives and said that he urged Zelenskyy to meet with members of Congress.
