SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — After months of gathering troops along the border, Russia has launched an attack and invaded Ukraine. U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., says his heart is heavy for the people there, and the international community will not stand for Russian aggression.
Ukraine says Russia has launched "full scale war," and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging global leaders to provide defense assistance to Ukraine and help protect its airspace from the “aggressor.” An adviser to Ukraine's president says about 40 people have died since the attack began.
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Menendez said Putin’s unprovoked attack was made out of fear of Ukraine pursuing democracy and freedom. He also said this incident marks a historical shift in how the world views and deals with the Russian president, and it underscores the need to expel the current Kremlin leadership from the international community.
The United States and allies have built a strong coalition to counter this Russian aggression and, Menendez says, we cannot stand by and watch Ukrainian men, women and children suffer.
He says Ukrainians are resilient and determined and will stand up for their freedom, and the U.S. will continue to stand with them and pray for them, as they refuse to let a tyrant impose his will.
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks, says the world is watching and the US must impose immediate and crippling sanctions to send a clear message.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez said he will ensure the U.S. upholds its commitment to exact maximum costs on Putin, the Russian economy, and those who have enabled the trampling of peoples rights in Ukraine.
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Republican Sen. Pat Toomey is also calling on the president to sanction Russia, saying the U.S. needs to "make Putin regret his terrible decision."
President Joe Biden called the attack "unprovoked and unjustified." The U.S. has troops deployed in NATO countries that surround Ukraine, but the president has repeatedly made it clear he will not send any U.S. troops into Ukraine. Biden is meeting with leaders of other G7 countries on Thursday to discuss the situation.
Biden on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia. Saying Putin "chose this war," Biden said Russia would bear the consequences of his action. The sanctions, imposed by the U.S. and its allies, will block assets of four large Russian banks, impose export controls and penalize oligarchs.
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Biden, for now, held off imposing some of the most severe sanctions, but the ones imposed to far fall in line with the White House’s insistence on hitting Russia’s financial system and Putin's inner circle, while also imposing controls that aim to starve Russia’s industries and military of U.S. semiconductors and other high-tech products.
Biden announced the sanctions as Ukraine’s government reported mounting casualties as Russian forces attack from the east, north and south.
