Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to move forward with the invasion of Ukraine shows he's decided that President Joe Biden is weak after he "refused to play hardball" with him on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and other issues, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Thursday on Newsmax.
"He sees this as his opening," the Tennessee Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report," adding that Putin knew he couldn't launch a takeover of the neighboring country under former President Donald Trump.
And now, it will be vital for Biden to show some strength while working with the nation's G-7 allies and NATO to be sure there is a united front against Moscow, said Blackburn.
Further, she said that both Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping watched the "debacle" that took place last year with the end of the war in Afghanistan, and they're watching Biden's domestic decisions, such as stopping the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and ending drilling on federal land.
"[These are] things that really hindered the U.S. and caused this inflation," said Blackburn. "They're watching very closely what our response is going to be."
That means it's time for the United States to push forward with even more strict sanctions on Russia, including removing it from the SWIFT international banking system and enforcing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, said Blackburn, and to "send the message that we're not going to put up with this."
Blackburn said the United States should further support Ukraine in its push to remove Russia from the United Nations Security Council, where it fills the seat held by the former Soviet Union, and that NATO must come out strongly against Putin and in support of Ukraine.
"Another thing we need to be watching is what China is going to do and to what degree they are going to support Russia in this, in how they're going to bolster them through the purchase of energy and those resources," said the senator.
Care must also be taken to determine what China will do to the United States and NATO with the supply chain, said Blackburn.
"These are going to be points we're going to be watching over the next few days and weeks, and keeping our mindfulness that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are the new axis of evil," said Blackburn. "We know that Putin is not doing this on his own. He feels he has enough backing around him to make this happen."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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