Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
April 20, 2022
SARAJEVO–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday joined CNN International’s Amanpour with Christiane Amanpour from his trip to the Balkans to discuss the United States’ continued support for Ukraine and the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine for European security and stability. Murphy met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? and Prime Minister Ana Brnabi? in Belgrade on Tuesday and the three members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Presidency in Sarajevo on Wednesday.
On his meeting with the three members of the BiH presidency, Murphy said: “This is a very worrying time for Bosnia. I know that the world’s attention rightly is focused on Ukraine right now. But as Putin gets backed into a corner, he is going to look for other places to try to score victories, and one of them may be Bosnia. Bosnia today is more fragile than it has been since the war…And so we did deliver a strong message to, frankly, all of the political leadership [in Bosnia and Herzegovina]. This is not the moment for them to just list their grievances to the global community. This is a moment for them to sit down and find a path to a workable federal state here. The world may not be paying attention to Bosnia today, but I worry if things continue to slide in the direction that we’ve been seeing over the past several weeks that the whole world could be focused on this region if violence breaks out.”
On his meeting with Serbian President Vu?i?, Murphy said: “Our message to President Vu?i?, someone I’ve known for a long time, was also a simple one. If Serbia really wants to be part of Europe, then it can’t be on the outside of the U.S.-Europe sanctions against Russia. If it continues this outlier status of trying to play a game of neutrality, there isn’t going to be an invitation from Europe. So I really do believe that President Vu?i? wants his legacy to be the integration of Serbia into the European Union, but our message to him was, the only way that happens is if Serbia joins us in our sanctions against Russia. And I can’t tell you if he made any commitments, but we had a really good candid dialogue.”
On the potential for Congress to authorize more aid to Ukraine, Murphy said: “I was glad to see the Biden administration step forward with another nearly billion dollar aid package. I expect that Congress will be ready to authorize additional aid when we return to Washington next week. And I think this is the moment for the United States and Europe to deliver to Ukraine what it needs to be able to win these key battles.”
On the transfer of combat aircraft, Murphy said: “That’s a complicated question because U.S. combat aircraft systems cannot be easily transferred into Ukrainian hands. They simply aren’t trained on our systems. They need systems that other European partners have. And so that is a more complicated dynamic that, frankly, involves more commitments from the Europeans than it does from the United States. So I’m certainly willing to entertain that kind of transfer. It ultimately is though a transfer more likely to come from a European nation than it is from U.S.”
Murphy highlighted the Biden administration’s extraordinary efforts to support Ukraine and stand up to Vladimir Putin: “Joe Biden doesn’t fear Vladimir Putin. He’s going toe to toe with him with an extraordinary commitment of military assets and assistance to the Ukrainians, backed up by [the] American people who stand with Ukraine as well. Listen, this is a hinge moment in world history. If Vladimir Putin gets away with the appropriation of a neighboring country without a contest, without a fight, than it is a message to other dictators and autocrats all around the world to try the same in their neighborhoods. So I think Joe Biden has shown that he was the right president for the moment, that he has had the mettle and the courage to stand up to Vladimir Putin, and I think you’ll continue to see remarkable commitments of American resources to the Ukrainian fight.”
Click here to view the entirety of Murphy’s interview.
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