Well, justbeforewecameonair, I spoketoRobertMenendez, a seniorDemocratsenator, onthenewlyelectedchairofthepowerfulSenateForeignRelationsCommitteepositiononceheldbythethenSenatorJoeBiden.
I beganbyaskinghimforhisresponsetotoday's verdict.
Weshouldimposeit, andthatwillsend a messageiswell, uh, thatyoucannotactthatwaywithimpunity.
Soyou'resayingsanctionsagainstRussiafromthe U.
S.
Now I'm sayingcertainlychemicalweaponssanctionsfortheattacksthatRussialevelagainstindividualslikeMrNavalny.
I saythatweshouldbelookingatsanctioningindividualsthatMrNavalnyhas a factidentifiedwiththisanticorruptionorganizationthatareactuallystealingthepatrimonyofRussiaonweneedtomultilateraleyesthatmeaningthat I hopethatourEuropeanallieswilljoininthoseeffortsaswelltosend a globalmessagethatnumberoneMrNavalny's havebeenreleasednumbertwoyoucan't dothiswithimpunity.
Well, uh, certainly I don't believeweweretrumpetallover, but I wouldalsosaythatthereis a differentpresidentoftheUnitedStates.
I servedwithPresidentBidenontheSenateForeignRelationsCommitteewhenhewashischairman.
I thinkhishistoryisoneoffarmormuscularity, asyousuggest.
A t endoftheday, a t endoftheday.
I thinkthatyouwillsee a differentpathwayforwardtime.
That's help.
Interesting.
Soyouthinktherewillbe a divergenceinattitudesorinrelationshipfromtheonewesawunderPresidentObama?
Yes.
AndyoualsohaveThiounderstand?
I thinkwealldothatRussiahasactedharddifferentlyoverthelastseveralyearsthanithaseverbefore.
Itsinterferenceinourelectionsit's interference, uh, inEuropeanelections, alloftheactionsthathavetakenplacerememberthattherewereatleastsanctionsleviedagainstRussiawhenit's a nextCrimeaandinvadedpartsofUkraine.
Sothequestionismorecouldhavebeendone.
Shouldhavebeendone.
I wasanadvocateofthat.
I justbelievethisadministrationwillbefarmorerobustinitsresponsetoPutinbecause I thinktheyunderstand, as I understandPutinontheunderstandingstrengthsincejustbeforeUgo.
Could I askwheretheyouwouldhaveproblemstakingit, Whetheryouwouldbeabletorecommendthisas a scientificdeliverybreakthroughforthecountriesthatarebuyingit?
Absolutely.
Ifitcanbeindependently, scientificallyverified, thatitis a effectiveonefficientandsafevaccine, I havenoproblemwiththat.