The US is close to finalizing the details of a package of sanctions that could be imposed on Russia even if it doesn’t launch an invasion of Ukraine, Senator Jeanne Shaheen announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank based in Washington DC, Shaheen revealed that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is working on a draft law on “preventive” anti-Russian sanctions, while also noting that an overall consensus has not yet been reached.
Shaheen is a member of President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party and has been a senator since 2009.
Regardless of disagreements inside the chamber, the long-time politician revealed that the committee is “very close” to reaching an agreement on a sanctions bill. According to Shaheen, the measures will be in response to “aggressive behavior” already displayed by Russia, and could be slapped on Moscow regardless of future actions.
Additionally, the committee also has a package in the works that would be activated if the situation on the Ukrainian border worsens. It has been dubbed the “mother of all sanctions,” and would target all main sectors of Russia’s economy, including banking.
Some in Washington have backed the idea of announcing sanctions against Russia sooner rather than later, as a form of threat that would serve to undermine Russia’s economic integrity and act as a deterrent. To this end, there have been calls from both Democratic and Republican legislators to familiarize the Kremlin with the measures the US could potentially take before Russia has a chance to take any action against Ukraine.
In recent months, Moscow has been accused of amassing over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, which some Western nations say could be in preparation for an invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has rejected these claims, directing the blame for increased tensions in Europe towards NATO and the US.