U.S. senators urge for tougher U.S. sanctions against Russia

Record ID: 162877

  • Title: U.S. senators urge for tougher U.S. sanctions against Russia
  • Date: 1st January 2017
  • Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (JANUARY 1, 2017) (REUTERS) AIRCRAFT ON TARMAC U.S. SENATORS JOHN MCCAIN, LINDSAY GRAHAM AND AMY KLOBUCHAR COMING OUT OF AIRCRAFT SENATORS BEING WELCOMED BY GEORGIAN OFFICIALS NEAR PLANE U.S. FLAG ON CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, LINDSEY GRAHAM, SAYING: "We hope to make 2017 a year of offence. We believe that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has hacked into our elections in America, that he's trying to undermine democracy all over the world and it's time for new sanctions to him hard as an individual, his energy sector, his banking sector. And it is time to push back against Putin, but be a better friend to our allies here including Georgia, to be more helpful. So 2017 is a year of offence and we're going to tell our colleagues what's at stake if we don't push back." KHURVALETI, SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA (JANUARY 1, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (English and Georgian) 'ATTENTION! STATE BORDER! PASSAGE IS FORBIDDEN!' MCCAIN BEING HELPED UPHILL GUARDS, SENATORS WALKING WITHIN GROUP LOCAL RESIDENT BEHIND BARBED WIRE MCCAIN WALKING TOWARDS MAN ARMED GUARDS MCCAIN GIVING BASKET WITH GIFTS TO MAN PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "I believe that we must continue to improve our relations and understand that Vladimir Putin - unless we stand up to him - will continue his aggression. And we must stand up to Vladimir Putin." MCCAIN TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "I am confident that the United States Congress and the new administration will support independence and freedom of the Georgian people. And the United Stated Congress will be very active in the United States Senate in making sure our relationship, training activities with the Georgian military continues. And we are very grateful for Georgian soldiers, comrades that are serving in Afghanistan today." MAN BEHIND BARBED WIRE CAR DRIVING OFF
  • Embargoed: 16th January 2017 16:51
  • Keywords: Russia cyber attacks sanctions John McCain
  • Location: TBILISI, GEORGIA; KHURVALETI, SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA
  • City: TBILISI, GEORGIA; KHURVALETI, SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015X90VGN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Republican U.S. senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham said on Sunday (January 1) they would urge for stronger sanctions against Russia after cyber attacks during the U.S. presidential election in November.
    Earlier this month, U.S. Republican and Democratic senators including McCain called for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russia's alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.
    "We believe that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has hacked into our elections in America, that he's trying to undermine democracy all over the world and it's time for new sanctions to him him hard as an individual, his energy sector, his banking sector," Senator Lindsey Graham said in ex-Soviet Georgia's capital Tbilisi.
    Russian officials have denied accusations of interference in the election won by Donald Trump.
    McCain visited Georgia together with other U.S. senators Graham and Amy Klobuchar after trip to Baltic countries and Ukraine.
    Graham said it was time "to push back against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, to be a better friend to our allies here including Georgia."
    "So 2017 is a year of offence and we're going to tell our colleagues what's at stake if we don't push back."
    Speaking in a village of Khurvaleti near the border with Georgia's breakaway Republic of South Ossetia, McCain said United States and their allies must stand up to Putin.
    U.S. senators promised to deepen cooperation with Georgia, its strategic ally in the region, which fought a brief war with Russia in August 2008.
    "I believe that we must continue to improve our relations and understand that Vladimir Putin - unless we stand up to him - will continue his aggression. And we must stand up to Vladimir Putin," McCain said.
    A fifth of Georgian territory remains under the control of pro-Russian separatists. The country is strategically important for the West because it is criss-crossed by pipelines carrying Caspian oil and gas to Europe.
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