Senators demand answers from Trump over sanctioned Russian lawmakers' visit to US
Members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee are demanding that the Trump administration explain how a delegation of sanctioned Russian MPs was let into the country.
Source: journalist Ostap Yarysh on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: A letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been sent on behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is dated 3 April and signed by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the committee, and Republican Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
The senators expressed concern about Russian MPs visiting the United States and meeting with members of the House of Representatives and US officials despite being subject to US sanctions.
Quote: "As you know, unlike the US Congress, the Duma is not a separate and equal branch of government. Its members include Kremlin subordinates who have committed numerous cyber and ransomware attacks on Americans and have facilitated war crimes against Ukrainian civilians. Remarkably, they are today helping Iran target US military and diplomatic personnel across the Middle East. The delegation came onto US soil for one purpose: to advance the Kremlin's strategic aims – including gathering additional useful intelligence."
The senators emphasise that the visit took place at a time when Russia's intentions leave no room for doubt, citing its assistance to Iran, as well as European intelligence reports that Russia is considering an attack on a NATO country in the coming years. "And Putin has made it clear that peace in Ukraine is a mirage. His singular ambition for Ukraine is to erase its existence," the senators stress.
They also focused on the individuals included in the delegation, recalling that MP Vyacheslav Nikonov called the US and NATO the "Fourth Reich" on Russian television a few years ago, while Mikhail Delyagin has advocated for the destruction of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"It is important that Congress and the public understand the scope of the Russian delegation's actions here in the United States and the access they may have had to sensitive information," the senators emphasise.
They ask Rubio and Bessent what the official justification was for the temporary waiving of sanctions on the members of the Russian delegation and whether any restrictions or conditions were imposed; why the aircraft carrying the Russian delegation was allowed to land in the US and what security measures were taken at the airport; and what meetings the delegation held with US officials.
They also request a full list of all the individuals who arrived from the Russian Federation, including all passengers on the aircraft, and ask whether a counterintelligence assessment was conducted for all the individuals who entered the US.
Background:
- The Russian delegation's visit to the US Capitol, organised by the office of controversial Republican House member Anna Paulina Luna last week, immediately drew sharp criticism from American lawmakers who support Ukraine.
- This week, leading US senators from both parties expressed their support for maintaining the US's NATO membership.
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