Schumer on How to Prevent Russian Sanctions Evasion: Two Years Later, We’re ‘Learning’ But ‘There’s More’ We Can Do

During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to a question on how the U.S. will keep Russia from evading the sanctions announced by President Joe Biden earlier in the day by stating that we can pass “more” sanctions against Russia beyond the ones announced today and that this newest round of sanctions is “a big step forward,” because, two years after the war started, “we’re learning how the Russians evade them and trying to plug those holes.”

Host Wolf Blitzer asked, “Senator, today, as you probably know, President Biden, here in Washington, announced more than 500 new sanctions on Russia tied to this anniversary of the war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the death of Alexei Navalny. How exactly does the U.S prevent Russia from evading these sanctions and further isolate Putin from leaders beyond just the West?”

Schumer responded, “Well, first, the sanctions are very important. He says, this is a big step forward, because we’re learning how the Russians evade them and trying to plug those holes. This won’t be the end of it, I am sure. There’s more that we can do. We must show Putin that he can pay a price, an economic price, as well as a political price, and a military price. The best way, by the way, to show him that what he did to get at — to punish him for what he did [to] Navalny is to get the aid passed, and that aid will really put Putin behind the eight-ball.”

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