Cotton: NATO and President Biden need to stop ‘pussyfooting around’
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Russia invading Ukraine and new sanctions announced by President Biden.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on Friday President Biden and NATO need to take further action while Russia invades Ukraine, criticizing the new sanctions announced by the administration.
"Joe Biden and NATO leaders need to quit pussyfooting around. You have moms and dads in Ukraine making Molotov cocktails to protect their homes and kids from Russian soldiers and Joe Biden and NATO leaders are patting themselves on the back for how many Zoom calls they’re having," Cotton told "The Faulkner Focus."
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Cotton told host Harris Faulkner that the latest round of sanctions Biden announced were "wholly inadequate."
"Not even a half measure. If you want to put real consequences on Vladimir Putin and think twice we need to sanction his oil and gas exports," Cotton said.
Ukraine supporters chant "I support Ukraine" outside the White House (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday after amassing troops on the nation's border for months and reached the capital after one day of fighting. Russian troops have reportedly met stiff resistance from Ukrainian soldiers, as the government calls on military-age males to stay in the country and fight.
Nearly 140 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians had died as of early Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion, but Cotton called on the administration to take action on energy production.
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While Russia maintains leverage over some European countries by way of oil and gas exports, Cotton said the U.S. could counter that by ramping up domestic production and exports.
"Joe Biden needs to reverse his energy policy and ban on drilling on federal lands and start certifying pipelines to get oil and gas flowing again in America. These are the steps we need to take that are full measures that recognize the full gravity of this moment as opposed to the half measures that we’ve heard this week from president Biden and NATO."
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