U.S. Lawmakers Press Obama To Back Russian Sanctions
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans and Democrats spoke with one voice on Monday in pressing President Barack Obama to sign legislation that would slap new sanctions on Russia while providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine.
The widely popular legislation cleared Congress late Saturday, but the White House has remained non-committal about whether Obama will sign it into law. Administration officials say the president is evaluating the measure, which would target Russia's energy and defense industries.
The Republican leader of the House, Speaker John Boehner, issued a statement saying the bipartisan bill underscores Congress' "strong moral commitment to the cause of the Ukrainian people" and he called on Obama to sign it immediately.
Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said lawmakers "stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the Ukrainian government and its people against the aggression of Vladimir Putin who continues to upend the international order."
The legislation would require the president to impose penalties on state-owned arms dealer Rosoboronexport and other Russian defense companies tied to unrest in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Syria. The sanctions would be extended to individuals and entities that help the companies.
The bill also would give the president the authority to provide lethal and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine. This includes anti-tank weapons, counter-artillery radar and tactical surveillance drones. The bill also authorizes $350 million over two years to cover the cost.
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Scenes from Peshawar today:
Here is today's situation map of eastern Ukraine by the National Security and Defense Council:
Just in from RFE/RL's news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said the military situation in eastern Ukraine was quiet overnight, with no shelling reported.
Poroshenko said in Kyiv on December 16 that "not a single shot was fired" overnight and there were no breaches of the fragile cease-fire in the region where government forces are fighting against pro-Russian separatists.
The cease-fire was originally agreed in early September during talks in Minsk, but it has been repeatedly violated.
A proposed meeting for further talks between Ukraine, Russia, the separatists, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had been expected last week, but the Ukrainian negotiator accused the rebels of violations and said it was too early to hold new talks.
A statement by the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk on December 16 said Ukrainian forces "carried out artillery strikes" on Donetsk airport during the night.
European Union foreign-policy chief Frederica Mogherini began a two-day visit to Kyiv on December 16.