LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- President Joe Biden announced Thursday that every asset Russia has in the United States will be frozen, and lawmakers in both Kentucky and Indiana agree that Russia should face severe consequences for invading Ukraine.
Sen. Mitch McConnell said Biden's decision to increase the United State's presence along NATO's eastern flank is the right move.
"The president, I think, wisely, has sent additional American troops to places like Poland and the Baltics," McConnells aid. "Other NATO countries are sending additional troops there as well."
McConnell added that America's ability to influence the conflict is "somewhat peripheral" since Ukraine is not a part of NATO but that the U.S. should ensure Ukraine has the weapons needed to "inflict maximum damage on the Russian forces."
"Vladimir Putin is a bad guy," McConnell said. "He's an authoritarian. He yearns for an empire, and we need to do everything we can to stop him."
Kentucky U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth agreed additional troops are necessary and said even more — including some from Kentucky — will likely be sent.
"I think what we now have to concede is we may be dealing with an irrational actor in Vladimir Putin," Yarmuth said. "There is absolutely no rational reason for what he's done, and his country will pay a terrible price for this invasion and this breach of Ukrainian sovereignty."
Kentucky U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth
Yarmuth said in addition to the economic sanctions, the U.S. is likely looking at additional tools as well.
"I understand we are probably going to be looking at offensive use of cyber warfare against Russia, which we have never done yet, at least as far as we know," Yarmuth said.
BAnd t Yarmuth is among lawmakers concerned with how the U.S. economy will be impacted by the invasion.
"Oil prices have already spiked today as a result of the invasion," he said. "They're likely to stay relatively high until it's resolved."
Indiana Sen. Mike Braun released the following statement Thursday, suggesting the U.S. intervene to lessen fuel costs for Americans:
“Though I hoped the administration would proactively shut down Russian energy assets such as Nord Stream 2 to deter further aggression as a majority of Senators voted to do, Putin and his cronies must now be punished with severe economic consequences for their unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. must unleash independent American energy production to lessen the pain of rising fuel prices on Americans, and the U.S. must be watchful to avoid endangering U.S. troops by involving them further in this volatile situation.”
Kentucky State Sen. Morgan McGarvey
Kentucky State Sen. Morgan McGarvey said he hopes the U.S. can prevent an attack like this from happening ever again.
"I hope this is a unifying moment — not just for our country but for the western world — to stand up to these types of aggressions, this unprovoked act of war on a sovereign country and make sure that we are stopping these from happening in the future," McGarvey said.
The U.S. and Ukraine don't have a mutual defense agreement, so American troops are currently only being sent to regions within NATO, close to Ukraine.
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- Russia attacks Ukraine; peace in Europe 'shattered'
- Ukraine attack leaves Baltics wondering: Are we next?
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