US Lawmaker Says Senate Committee Close to Agreement on Preemptive Russia Sanctions Bill

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2022) The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is close to agreement on a piece of legislation that would impose preemptive sanctions on Russia for the actions it has taken so far on the Ukraine border� despite not having launched an actual invasion, Senator Jeanne Shaheen said.

"We are very close to having agreement between the Chair and Ranking Member on the Foreign Relations Committee on a bill that would look at preemptive sanctions, ones that we can put in place that respond to what we've already seen from Russia in terms of their aggressive behavior," Shaheen said in an interview with the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday.

Shaheen noted that she was part of a bipartisan group of US Senators that recently visited Ukraine and met with the cpuntry's leadership, including with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The lawmakers reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and explored ways to further assist the country, Shaheen said.

The congressional trip took place amid allegations of Russian troops build-up near the Ukraine border as a preparation for an invasion. Moscow has denied the accusations, pointing to NATO's expansion and military activity near Russia's borders, saying it poses a threat to its national security.