Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) introduced a bill Wednesday to sanction Russia for their invasion of the Donbas region of Ukraine.
If enacted, the Restraining Russian Imperialism Act would instruct the Biden administration to impose sanctions if Russia does not completely withdraw from the region within a year.
In a statement released by his office, Rep. Green said, “Russia’s actions have destroyed the Donbas economy and created a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. should not tolerate, ignore, or forget Russia’s aggressive action in Ukraine. As long as Russia is illegally occupying territory in Ukraine’s Donbas region, the United States must exert as much pressure as possible.”
Russia has been active in the region since 2014, when they invaded and annexed Crimea. Since the invasion, violence has continued to persist throughout the area. The country has received international rebukes for their actions in the Donbas region and abroad.
“The only action oppressive regimes understand is strength. If Russia does not withdraw its military from the Donbas region in one year, my legislation requires the Biden Administration to level heavy sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the occupation. The United States cannot tolerate Russia’s continued attempts to destabilize Ukraine by funding separatist groups, committing cyber-attacks, and using its military to intimidate the rightful, democratically-elected government of Ukraine,” Green continued.
Green, a member of both the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, has consistently voiced concern over Russian aggression and their repeated violations of international law. In both 2019 and 2021, he, along with a group of Senators and Representatives, introduced the Allied Burden Sharing Report Act to expand the abilities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to allow the group to combat aggression from both Russia and China.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
