Russia must solve all problems with Ukraine through diplomacy
On Tuesday, December 7, US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland attends the US Senate Foreign Relations Hearings. The hearings focused on US-Russian relations and the results of a video conference held on Tuesday by Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin.
Before the hearing, Democrat committee chairman Bob Menendez challenged, the Russian invasion of Ukraine would trigger devastating economic economies for the United States and its allies, the likes of which have never happened before.
“The Russian banking sector will be destroyed. Sovereign debt will be blocked. Russia will be excluded from the fast payment system. Sectoral sanctions will harm the Russian economy – Menendez. “Putin himself, as well as his inner circle, have lost access to bank accounts in the West, where Russia will be cut off and isolated from the international economic system.”
Democrat Menendez’s tough stance was also supported by the republic’s deputy government, James Riesch, who said there is strong bipartisan support for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the Senate and a determination to resist Moscow’s aggressive aspirations.
In her speech, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland noted that the Biden administration is closely following all the actions of the Kremlin leadership, which may lead to the preparation of a possible aggression against Ukraine, near whose borders Russia has concentrated, according to intelligence, about 100,000 troops.
“We do not know whether the president has accepted, we know that he is building up opportunities for this …,” the Deputy Secretary of State said. “Therefore, despite our uncertainty about the exact intentions and timing, we must prepare with our joint for all unforeseen circumstances.”
However, Nuland added.
As examples of such diplomatic efforts, Nuland cited a trip to Moscow in early November by CIA Director Burns. Then the US Secretary of State met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov last Thursday. And finally, President Biden himself, during today’s video chat with Russian President Putin, conveyed to him the message that the Kremlin’s new aggression against Ukraine will have the most serious consequences for Moscow.
Nuland also stressed that President Biden is committed to a stable and predictable relationship with Russia. At the same time, answering the question of Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Victoria Nuland called it unacceptable for the United States, provided that Putin would demand from Washington conditions for military-political support of Ukraine and deny Kiev its right to join NATO.
Answering questions from lawmakers about Washington’s interaction with its European allies, Nuland expressed confidence that the new German government would suspend the work of Nord Stream 2 in the event of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
At the same time, one of the Democratic legislators voiced a certain bewilderment as to why the United States, urging the European Union to abandon the use of Russian energy resources, themselves, in fact, finance the Putin regime and its military preparations, allowing Russian oil to enter the American market. So, according to Senator Ed Markey, today Russia ranks second, after Canada, in terms of oil exports to the United States.
Victoria Nuland did not dwell on this issue in detail, noting that the United States is responsible for the problem of oil supplies from other countries.