The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Last week, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Army invaded our ally Ukraine. This is the largest incursion into Europe since World War II. We cannot allow this aggression to stand. 

On Thursday morning, I joined Fox and Friends First to discuss the invasion and how the US must respond. Specifically, I discussed how the United States must develop American energy resources.  You can watch my full interview below.

This means allowing leases on federal lands, moving forward with the Keystone XL pipeline, and restoring energy independence for America so we can help our allies.

Additionally, we need to stop buying oil from Russia and move to sanction Russia's energy sector. Every dollar spent on Russian oil means more money in Vladimir Putin's pocket. These dollars help him weather other types of sanctions, because oil is purchased and traded in US dollars around the world. 

We also believe that Vladimir Putin has stolen and skimmed hundreds of millions dollars, if not more, from around the globe. By banning all Russian banks from accessing SWIFT, it will not only impact Putin directly, it will also impact other wealthy government officials as well as the oligarchs that run the country.

This is why I discussed on Thursday evening that we need to sanction Putin himself, remove Russian access to SWIFT, and sanction the Russian energy sector. 

Instead of being the first to initiate sanctions, military aid, or humanitarian support, the Biden Administration seems to be anywhere from hours to more than a day behind our friends in Europe. While seeing the Germans, Dutch, British, and other European allies actively engage in support of Ukraine is welcomed, America cannot lead from behind. 

On Friday, I discussed with Rick Albin how Ukraine may only be the beginning of Russia's aggression. The United States and NATO must be prepared. Whether it is Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia, all of these nations have joined NATO. Michigan has especially strong cultural ties with Lithuania and has developed strong ties with Latvia and Estonia through joint partnerships with the Michigan National Guard.