Republican Lawmakers Call for Second Round of Russia Sanctions
The two top Republicans on the Senate and House foreign affairs committees urged President Joe Biden to immediately impose a second round of sanctions against Russia under the U.S. Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act. In a June 16 letter, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said the administration was required to impose a second round of sanctions under the CBW Act unless it certified to Congress by June 2 that the Vladimir Putin regime was “no longer using chemical weapons in violation of international law” and agreed to on-site inspections. The Biden administration had imposed the first round of sanctions against Russia in March (see 2103020067).
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"As Russia has taken none of these necessary steps,” the letter said, “the Administration now must impose additional sanctions for the Putin regime’s use of chemical weapons.” But the senators said they are concerned the delay in imposing more sanctions “appears to be part of a larger pattern to avoid confronting the Putin regime” ahead of Biden’s meeting with Putin.
After meeting with Putin June 16, Biden told reporters that the two leaders discussed Russia’s use of chemical weapons and its human rights violations. “I made it clear to President Putin that we’ll continue to raise the issue of fundamental human rights,” Biden said. “I made it clear that we will not tolerate attempts to violate our democratic society or destabilize our democratic elections, and we will respond.” Biden added: “He knows I will take action.”