Sen. John McCain applauds sanctions handed down to Russia
Mar 15, 2018, 1:26 PM | Updated: Mar 19, 2018, 8:49 am
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., receives the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. The honor is given annually to an individual who displays courage and conviction while striving to secure liberty for people worldwide. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
PHOENIX — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) issued his thoughts on the long-awaited sanctions handed down by the Trump administration on 19 Russians Thursday.
“The administration took an overdue step forward today in holding Putin accountable for his brazen attack on our democracy,” McCain said in a press release.
“Financially squeezing the Kremlin kleptocracy, which has stolen countless billions of dollars from the Russian people, is the only way to ensure that Putin and his cronies feel the consequences for their destabilizing activities.”
The sanctions are the first use of powers that Congress passed last year in retaliation for Moscow’s meddling. The targets include officials working for the Russian military intelligence agency, GRU.
“We cannot allow continued Russian political interference, destructive cyberwarfare, and attacks on foreign soil to go unchallenged,” McCain said.
“It is critical that the administration work urgently to fully implement sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, including on those responsible for the attack on the 2016 election and who were recently named in the Special Counsel’s indictment, as well as on entities operating in the oil and gas sectors.”
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The Treasury Department said in a statement that the GRU and Russia’s military interfered in the 2016 election and were “directly responsible” for the NotPetya cyberattack that hit businesses across Europe in June 2017.
“Most importantly, these sanctions must be part of a broader strategy to deter Russia’s military aggression, defend our allies and partners, strengthen cybersecurity, safeguard critical infrastructure, and stop the spread of disinformation,” McCain said.
“Without strong action and resolve, we will only encourage Putin to continue attacking us, our allies, and democracies around the world.”
The sanctions also affect the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, and six of its employees, for cyberattacks more broadly, including those targeting Russian journalists, opposition figures, foreign politicians and U.S. officials.
Thursday’s action freezes any assets the individuals and entities may have in the United States and bar Americans from doing business with them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
