Chairman Palmer Reacts to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Washington, D.C. – Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Gary Palmer (AL-06) has released the following statement: 

“Once again, the world faces the consequences of weak and indecisive leadership as an aging dictator attempts to reestablish a repressive and evil empire,” Palmer said. “Vladimir Putin has long harbored deep, malicious resentment over the breakup of the Soviet Union, and he has been clear about his aspiration to restore the Russian empire by subjugating former Soviet bloc nations. America and our allies must exact a high price from Putin and Russia, starting with imposing severe economic and diplomatic sanctions. America should unleash the full strength of our oil and natural gas resources to help replace Europe’s dependency on Russia as their source for oil and natural gas. However, this must not be the end of our response. Putin is expecting sanctions and is already seeking more economic support from countries like China, who have their own military pursuits in mind. At this point, it should be abundantly clear that Putin will not stop until he is convinced the cost will be too high. The United States and our allies must make the sanctions against Putin both damaging and persistent in order to end this violence and deter more from occurring. Consequently, the U.S. and our NATO allies should mobilize forces as a clear demonstration that any aggression against NATO members will be met swiftly and decisively."