Republicans are demanding Russia de-escalate as both parties push for sanctions and try to avoid sending U.S. forces to Ukraine following reports President Biden is considering deploying up to 500,000 troops to the Baltic region.
'What's happening with Russia and Ukraine would never have happened under the Trump Administration. Not even a possibility!' former President Donald Trump sent in a statement Monday.
Both Democrats and Republicans are publicly pressuring Biden to apply sanctions on the Kremlin now instead of waiting to act until Russia invades Ukraine.
Democrat Representative Frank Pallone tweeted on Sunday: 'Putin should know that if Russia invades Ukraine, the House will quickly pass legislation to impose sanctions on Russia. The United States and our allies will stand with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.'
He was referencing Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee introducing last week a companion bill to the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022 that would impose sanctions on Russia as it inches closer to invading Ukraine.
Republican Representative Lisa McClain of Michigan tweeted on Monday: 'President Biden is enabling Russia to invade Ukraine by being all talk and no action.'
Republicans and Democrats alike have come out in a lukewarm fashion against Joe Biden strategy with Russia as it comes closer to invading Ukraine. The president returns to the White House Monday morning after spending the weekend at Camp David in Maryland
Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone said the U.S. is ready to impose sanctions should Russia invade – but Biden is considering much more severe action as he considers deploying as many as 500,000 U.S. troops to the Baltic region and Eastern European countries that border Ukraine
Republican Pat Fallon demanded the administration immediately impose sanctions
Former President Donald Trump insisted the situation with Russia 'would never have happened' under his administration
'It's time to stop making America look weak and start showing leadership.'
On Sunday, Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan asked Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul: 'You heard the secretary say that if he uses the leverage of sanctions now, he gives up an important bit of deterrence. Do you disagree?'
'I completely disagree,' the Texas Republican replied. 'I think this has been a passive deterrence, right? I don't. I don't see Putin changing his course of action. It's getting very aggressive.'
'The noose is tightening around Ukraine. President [Volodymyr] Zelensky, as you mentioned, said he wants the sanctions now,' McCaul continued on Sunday. 'We can always remove the sanctions if it deters Putin's bad behavior, but if you reward that and there are no consequences, it's going to continue. And I think all along, there are so many things we can be doing to provide deterrence if we don't do this.'
'The plan of action that I've seen in the classified space, as well as very specific, very aggressive, is timetable. If we don't do something strong right now, I'm afraid that he's going to invade Ukraine, which will have, as the secretary
