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Senator Tom Cotton, a possible Republican presidential candidate, says, “The Ukrainian people are fiercely proud, and they don’t want to be subjects of Russia, or be a Russian vassal state. I guess you could say that they subscribe to the Granite State’s motto of Live Free or Die.”
In an interview with WGIR’s Chris Ryan, Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and possible 2024 presidential candidate, discusses the Russian invasion of Ukraine; tries to predict Putin’s end game; lays out a strategy on how to deal with Russia; criticizes the current sanctions which have been placed on Russia; describes the signals given by the Biden Administration which emboldened Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine; outlines the policies which will deter Putin’s future plans for aggression; and responds to recent comments by President Trump praising Vladimir Putin.
Senator Cotton, who served as a combat officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. He feels that the people of Ukraine are the victims of Russian aggression.
Despite putting up a heroic defense of their country, Senator Cotton believes that the Russian armed forces will conquer either all or part of Ukraine. The Senator thinks that Putin might try to annex Ukraine, or he might install a puppet government.
Senator Cotton recommends that the United States never recognize this new government controlled by Vladimir Putin, and that we continue to impose sanctions to isolate Russia economically and politically.
The current sanctions which President Biden and our European allies were described as “half measures” by Senator Cotton.
“We should take much stronger action toward Russia’s oil and gas exports, its minerals and mining industry, and its banking industry, as well. Until we do that all the hash tags, and sternly worded statements, and buildings lit up like the Ukrainian flag are not going to make Vladimir Putin pay any real price.”
The Senator believes that Vladimir Putin was emboldened to invade Ukraine by the actions of President Biden, such as the extending the START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) which Trump refused to extend without Russian concessions; waving sanctions on the Nord Stream II pipeline; a lack of response to a Russian hack of our Colonial Pipeline; and our humiliating retreat from Afghanistan.
Vladimir Putin has been in power for twenty years, and Senator Cotton believes that we and our NATO allies need to take the following steps: decrease our dependence on Russian oil by increasing US domestic oil and gas production and use of nuclear energy; bolster the defenses of the countries which border Russia; and Germany and Italy need to contribute more for their defense.
In a recent interview, President Trump praised Vladimir Putin as a genius who wouldn’t be invading Ukraine if Trump was still the president. Senator Cotton responded to President Trump’s comments.
“I’ll share my view of Vladimir Putin. He’s a ruthless dictator who oppresses his own people and wages unprovoked wars of aggression.”
The Senator went on to warn that Putin is very clever and his threats should be taken seriously.