Shaheen says aid to Ukraine must continue
Senator says Ukrainians fighting to maintain democracy
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Friday that Western sanctions will soon begin to take an even more significant bite out of the Russian economy.
The Democratic senator from New Hampshire said the U.S. must continue to provide military and financial assistance to Ukraine to blunt the latest Russian offensive.
"First of all, we need to get the aid for Ukraine," Shaheen said in an interview for "CloseUP." "We have a $40 billion package sitting in the Senate that we need to get approved this coming week. It includes military hardware and ammunition so they can keep up this fight. It also includes help for their economy, because they've been hit so hard from the Russian attacks."
To critics who said the U.S. should not be sending so much money overseas, the senator said there is ample oversight.
"But I think the more important point is that the Ukrainians right now are fighting for not just their freedom and democracy, but democracies in Europe and around the world," Shaheen said. "If Vladimir Putin is allowed to be successful here in Ukraine, who knows where he's going to go next?"
Shaheen said the U.S. is preparing for the possibility that Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon.
"The Administration is exploring different options, and I don't think we want to talk about that, but as we heard from Avril Haines, the director of National Intelligence, the discussions around what to do are happening now, so we will be united in our response," she said.
