"U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led a majority of his Republican colleagues in introducing the Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act to provide the critical support Ukraine needs to defend itself and deter Russian aggression today, while imposing real costs on the Kremlin for its ongoing and potential future aggression against Ukraine," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Republicans said in a press release.
The legislation would impose costs on Russia including sanctions on banks and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, support Ukraine with $500 million in foreign military financing, and counter alleged malign Russian influence by boosting funding for efforts to counter disinformation, the release said.
Meanwhile, a leading Senate Democrat, Senator Menendez, slammed the move as "partisan posturing," saying it was not too late for Democrats and Republicans to reach a "diplomatic breakthrough" on a bipartisan sanctions package. And White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that Bipartisan cooperation on a sanctions package to impose against Russia in the event they invade Ukraine remains the best way to move the effort forward.
The West has been accusing Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border and of allegedly preparing for an invasion. Moscow has denied these accusations, pointing to NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has also said it has the right to move its forces within its own territory.