Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Friday argued President Trump’s reputation is on the line as the world awaits pending secondary sanctions on Russia.
“I believe that his credibility will be damaged if he fails to follow through today on this deadline. There is no excuse for succumbing to this Putin ploy,” Blumenthal said during an appearance on “CNN News Central.”
“The president has demonstrated that he means business. He said he‘s disappointed with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. He ought to impose those sanctions on China, India, Brazil. They are buying Russian oil. They are sustaining his war machine, and they ought to be held accountable,” the Democratic senator added.
The White House has threatened to impose additional sanctions targeting key Russian trading partners on Friday.
A senior official said Wednesday following special envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Putin in Russia that the sanctions were “still expected to be implemented Friday.”
Trump said the meeting between his envoy and the Russian leader was “highly productive” and claimed there was “great progress” from the meeting.
The U.S. has used the deadline for weeks in an effort to push Moscow to the negotiating table for a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, a first step toward ending the more than three-year war.
“I don’t know that sanctions bother him [Putin]. You know? They know about sanctions. I know better than anybody about sanctions, and tariffs and everything else. I don’t know if that has any effect. But we’re going to do it,” Trump said in July.
Trump has announced he will hit India with tariffs of up to 50 percent while criticizing New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil. China has also defended its purchase of Russian oil, pushing back on the threat of new U.S. tariffs.
Blumenthal said Friday that profits spurred by foreign oil purchases can be categorized as “blood money.”
“And they should pay a price for fueling the kind of merciless and murderous aerial assault that is killing Ukrainians, literally last night in their homes, hospitals, educational centers. It is atrocities that they should be held accountable for supporting,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal said without repercussions, the Kremlin will continue to strike and advance in the region.
“The credibility of president and the United States is at stake. Putin is simply stringing us along,” Blumenthal said.
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