US Senate Weighs Sanctions Bill Against Russia

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Facts

  • Two top Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee expressed confidence this weekend in the prospects of a bipartisan sanctions bill against Russia.1
  • Appearing on CNN, Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), committee chairman, and James Risch (R-ID), ranking Republican, said an agreement could come as soon as this week.2
  • This would include sanctions against Russian financial institutions and sovereign debt, plus increased military aid to Ukraine. Some measures would be enacted even before an invasion, based on Russia's provocations to date.2
  • The news comes as British lawmakers weigh their own sanctions should Russia invade Ukraine in the coming months.3

Sources: 1CNN, 2One America and 3The New York Times.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Breitbart. The situation in Ukraine is a clear-cut case of an authoritarian state trying to overpower and undermine a free and democratic one. There's overwhelming bipartisan support for the sanctions bill because both parties recognize the need to support democracy and the rule of law abroad.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by FOX News. The US should stay out of the conflict and focus on protecting its own border and economy. Ukraine is strategically irrelevant to the US, which has nothing to gain from getting involved. Only China benefits, as Washington drives its two main global rivals closer together.

Predictions