Michigan congressional delegation condemns Russian attack on Ukraine, demands punishing sanctions

Members of Congress representing Michigan condemned a Russian assault on Ukraine, calling for swift sanctions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Escalating tension gave way to military conflict early Thursday when Ukrainian officials said Russia launched airstrikes killing 40 people and advanced troops and equipment into the country. The invasion was rebuked an illegal act of war by Republicans and Democrats in Michigan’s congressional delegation, who urged President Joe Biden to take action immediately.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, described Thursday’s attack as an “appalling and illegal assault on a sovereign nation and democracy itself” in a statement.

“This is a dark and dangerous moment,” Peters said. “The U.S. and our European allies must send Putin an unmistakable message by swiftly enacting crippling sanctions to hold Russia accountable. NATO must stand united and resolute in our support for the Ukrainian people. I remain committed to working with the Biden Administration and my colleagues to do our part.”

In Michigan, home to an estimated 39,000 Ukrainian-Americans, rallies are being organized in response. Michigan has accepted 116 Ukrainian refugees in the last decade, and humanitarian aid groups are gathering donations and bracing for destabilizing effects of violence.

According to the Associated Press, Putin delivered a televised address claiming the military operation was aimed at protecting Ukrainian civilians in an eastern region where Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists have been fighting for almost eight years. U.S. officials argue Putin is establishing a false pretext to justify an invasion into Ukraine, a former Soviet state.

Putin also warned other countries that interfering with the Russian operation in Ukraine would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history.”

U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, is a member of the House Ukraine Caucus. He convened a conversation with the Ukrainian American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan to discuss the situation. The organization said Russia’s leaders seek to re-establish control over neighboring countries that resisted colonialism for centuries.

“Damn you, Vladimir Putin,” Levin said in a statement. “Damn your lies and your false justifications for what we all know to be a war of choice. Your imperial pretensions and fantasies will be a historic mistake, but tragically, today it is the Ukrainian people who will suffer the immediate costs.”

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, called Putin a “thug” and said the U.S. must strike “a posture of strength against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.” Earlier in the week, Walberg called the Biden administration to evacuate American citizens.

“It is past time to impose maximum and far-reaching sanctions that cripple Russia’s economy and stifle access to international financial markets,” Walberg said Thursday.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, announced his support for Republican-backed legislation to impose sanctions against Russian financial banks, businesses, and Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The bill would also ban the sale of American-made semiconductors to Russia and support weapons financing for Ukraine.

“We must impose severe sanctions on Russia as soon as possible, and the NYET Act will make that happen,” Moolenaar said in a statement. “I am supporting this legislation because it is a smart, targeted approach that will hurt Russian financial institutions and the powerful people who prop up Vladimir Putin’s government.”

America’s response to the Russian invasion is being watched by “every would-be autocrat,” said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly. She described Putin as delusional vain and ruthless in a series of statements.

U.S Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids, also called Biden to “unleash crippling sanctions” against Russia.

“A weak America emboldens dictators like Putin to threaten our allies. We cannot afford to be tepid or weak-willed in our approach, and we must take action to economically isolate and devastate the Russian regime,” Meijer said in a statement. “If we fail to do so, we will see the chaos Putin is unleashing in Ukraine spread throughout Europe, and it will also embolden tyrants in China, North Korea, and Iran.”

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, laid partial blame for the attack on Biden, saying “weak sanctions” did not prevent the invasion. Her office is trying to organize transportation for Americans in Ukraine.