Any further punitive action against Russia by the White House should target President Vladimir Putin “personally,” a former NATO commander, James Stavridis, said.
In an interview Sunday with John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM-N.Y., Stavridis also asserted Putin “needs to be indicted in an international criminal court.”
“These sanctions need to target Putin personally, they need to go after his personal wealth, his ability… and his friends and his family to travel in the world,” Stavridis insisted.
“He needs to be indicted in an international criminal court,” he said. “We need to personalize these sanctions.” He said that recent sanctions didn't go far enough.
President Joe Biden’s announced that over 500 new sanctions would be aimed at Russia as Ukraine marked the second year of war after a Russian invasion — and in the wake of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“If Putin does not pay the price for his death and destruction, he will keep going,” Biden said in a statement announcing the sanction.
“And the costs to the United States — along with our NATO allies and partners in Europe and around the world — will rise.”
In his Sunday interview, Stavridis agreed with Biden that the Kremlin was involved with Navalny’s death, and asserted it should be “a wake-up call” for Congress to move ahead with additional Ukraine aid.
“That’s a personal tragedy because Alexei Navalny was a man of immense integrity and honor, a believer in democracy and liberty,” Stavridis said. “But, it’s also an indication to the West, of how confident, how strong Vladimir Putin feels he is.”
Ukraine awaits passage by Congress of a nearly $95 billion in foreign aid that includes crucial funding.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., visited the country on Friday, and pressed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pass the spending package that would provided $60 billion to Ukraine.
“When we return to Washington, we will make clear to Speaker Johnson — and others in Congress who are obstructing military and economic support — exactly what is at stake here in Ukraine and for the rest of Europe and the free world,” Schumer said, The Hill reported.
“We will keep working to ensure Congress steps up, does the right thing, and delivers help for our friends and allies.”
But Johnson has pushed back, suggesting he won’t bring it to the House floor unless it includes border security measures.
A bipartisan bill that included both was blocked by Senate Republicans earlier this month.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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