Staff report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, Ohio’s two U.S. Senators, Rob Portman (R) and Sherrod Brown (D), issued statements in response to Russia’s decision to move troops into disputed Ukrainian territories.

“Russia is continuing to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine by sending additional forces into two Ukrainian territories, Luhansk and Dnetsk. These are Ukrainian territories that Russia has been essentially occupying for the past eight years. Now they are adding additional troops and recognizing these two Ukrainian territories as independent, in clear violation of international law,” said Portman.

“I support the imposition of sanctions on Russia and urge the Biden administration to work with allies to join us to ensure a coordinated response to this unwarranted continued incursion on sovereign territory of Ukraine,” he added.

Brown called Russia’s military incursion into the eastern Ukraine “an act of naked aggression against the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian sovereignty that violates international law.

“President Biden should swiftly begin to impose the punishing economic and financial sanctions he has prepared, including against Putin himself,” said Brown. “I have worked with my Senate colleagues to ensure the President has the tools to sanction Russia’s leaders, its banking and finance sectors, and other critical industries. Now is the time for these tools to begin to be used, to demonstrate to Putin the consequences Russia will suffer from his actions, and hopefully to avert a wider war.

“We have also provided critical tools to enable Ukraine to defend itself, including expanded U.S. military assistance and training,” Brown added. “President Biden and the international community should use all of the diplomatic, financial and economic tools available to forcefully address this act of aggression and ensure the security of the people of Ukraine. The President is right to work with allies on a united response: sanctions imposed with our allies will pack a much bigger punch than U.S. sanctions alone.”