Sen. Chris Murphy: Nothing US Could Do Militarily to Stop Russia in Ukraine - East Idaho News
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Sen. Chris Murphy: Nothing US Could Do Militarily to Stop Russia in Ukraine

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Sen Murphy?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1394986330662Dmitry Korotaev/Kommersant Photo via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Sunday on This Week, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos there was nothing the U.S. could do militarily to prevent Russia from moving into Eastern Ukraine following its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula.

But Murphy advocated for new sanctions on Russia that could put economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and prevent further Russian action in Ukraine.

“I don’t think there’s anything that we can do militarily. Clearly, this is a longer-term effort to build up the Ukrainian military. But if on Monday, we announce, with the European Union, a set of crippling sanctions coming after not only individuals, but Russian business entities, I think that sends a strong message to Putin,” Murphy said on This Week.

“I think [Putin] marched into Crimea because he didn’t believe that the United States and Europe would actually take a chunk of flesh out of his economy,” Murphy added. “And if we stand together on Monday, that gives us a chance, at least, to change the calculus in Moscow.”

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