Heitkamp: Tough, Smart Sanctions Strategy Needed to Hold Russia Accountable, Keep ND Families Strong & Safe

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today pushed for continued strong U.S. sanctions to punish Russia for its ongoing attacks on U.S. businesses, elections, and critical infrastructure.

During a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing assessing the impacts of U.S. economic, financial, and trade sanctions on Russia, Heitkamp spoke about the urgent need for a sanctions strategy that promotes rigorous enforcement, close coordination with U.S. allies, and proper resourcing for federal departments responsible for implementing and monitoring sanctions.

“Russia poses a grave threat to our national security, and our nation cannot ignore President Putin’s willingness to wage hostile cyberattacks that disrupt the lives of millions of Americans,” said Heitkamp. “Heightened economic sections are a key part of deterring further Russian aggression against our country and our allies, and the federal offices responsible for implementing these tools must have the resources they need to put full pressure on the Russian government and its cronies. Additionally, our government needs to coordinate with our allies to make sure bad actors can’t move their business activities and wealth across a border to successfully escape punishment. I’ve long said that we need a sanctions policy that reprimands Russia for interfering in our elections, annexing Crimea, and propping up Bashar al-Assad’s bloody regime in Syria. One of my most important responsibilities as a U.S. senator is to protect American communities and keep North Dakota families safe, and I’ll continue to speak out in favor of a sanctions policy that contributes to a tough, smart national security strategy and sends a unified signal that a destabilizing Russian foreign policy won’t be tolerated.”