US Senator John McCain told The Telegraph on Wednesday that the European sanctions imposed on Russia are “a joke” and will only strengthen Moscow’s resolve.
A staunch supporter of a tougher stance against Russia, McCain was dissatisfied with Europe’s actions following the Flight MH17 tragedy.
"It's a joke and they will do nothing and I predicted they would do nothing," McCain told The Telegraph. "They will continue to do nothing until the day they become independent of Russian energy. Until then they will talk."
While he said that a unilateral move by Britain to impose banking sanctions against Russia would be helpful, McCain also noted that the British government is unlikely to do so. He also claimed that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin bears responsibility for supplying the militia in the rebellious south-eastern regions of Ukraine with military hardware.
According to The Telegraph, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) also blasted France’s decision to proceed with the delivery of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia.
Currently, a trio of Democratic senators - senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Carl Levin (D-MI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee - presses the White House to slap Russia with a new round of sanctions. "The US must not limit its own national security strategy when swift action will help fulfill our strategic objectives," a letter to the President penned by the senators said.
