Toomey: Suspending Normal Trade Relations and Banning Russian Energy Imports Won’t Stop Putin’s War

Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Pat Toomey

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey released the following statement after voting in favor of banning the importation of Russian energy products and removing Russia from Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.
“These measures are small, constructive steps, but they do not inflict real economic pain. The president and Congress should cut off global purchases of Russian oil and gas, which are funding Putin’s war. The U.S. can cut off Putin’s revenue stream with secondary sanctions on all Russian banks. This would require every country to decide between doing business with Russia or the U.S. The choice would be clear and the economic pain on Putin would be far more severe than the half-measures taken to date.”