US vows various consequences against Russia over Ukraine border aggression News
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US vows various consequences against Russia over Ukraine border aggression

US ambassadors and lawmakers have vowed to take action against Russia should the situation in Ukraine progress any further. The UN Security Council gathered on Monday to discuss Russia’s recent massing of troops along the Ukraine border and fears of invasion. In her remarks before the UN Security Council, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield argued that Russia’s actions threaten the international order the UN Security Council is tasked with upholding.

Thomas-Greenfield indicated that the US and the UN should seek a diplomatic way out of the rising tensions but also did not seem opposed to more severe action should diplomatic channels fail. “[The US] seek[s] the path of dialogue. We do not want confrontation. But we will be decisive, swift, and united should Russia further invade Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

The UN Security Council is unlikely to take any formal action, however. Russia’s veto power coupled with its ties to other countries on the council, like China, make it unlikely that any vote for action would succeed.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on Capitol Hill signaled they are nearing agreement on sanctions in light of the situation along the Ukraine border. Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), said in an interview with CNN Sunday that lawmakers are considering the “mother of all sanctions” against Russia.

Congress has considered several approaches, including sanctions against Russian banks and preemptive sanctions. The dialogue on Capitol Hill indicates that this round of sanctions will be more severe than those issued after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. For now, the issue appears to have bipartisan support, with the only division coming down to the timing of sanction imposition.