TO BE DONE.
JOINING ME NOW IS SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BOB
ME NEN DECEMBER -- MENENDEZ.
LET ME START WITH THE NEXT
PERHAPS MOST REALISTIC PUNISH
PUNISHMENT WE CAN INFLICT, A
FULL OIL EMBARGO ON RUSSIA.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS?
AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S
GAINING TRACTION?
>> I SUPPORT AN EMBARGO, EVEN
THOUGH IT WOULD EQUATE TO IF
IT'S JUST THE U.S. ALONE, ABOUT
4% OF RUSSIAN SALES GLOBALLY.
BUT I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT
STEP TO MAKE, AND I THINK IT IS
GAINING TRACTION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT
WILL HAVE TO LOOK TO THE
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE AND
OTHER MEASURES TO OFFSET ANY
DOMESTIC CHALLENGES.
BUT, LOOK, AN EVIL, HORRIBLE WAR
NEEDS SOME DRAMATIC ACTIONS, AND
SO I THINK THIS IS ONE OF MANY
THAT CAN BE TAKEN.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU
WERE ABLE TO WATCH OUR PREVIOUS
SEGMENT SORT OF -- WE NOW SEE
WHAT THE RUSSIAN MILITARY
STRATEGY IS, AND IT'S -- THE
INITIAL STRATEGY DIDN'T WORK.
THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE COSTLIER
FOR HIM BUT PERHAPS MORE
VIOLENT, MORE MESSY, MORE
BLOODY.
SENATOR, IT WILL BE HARD TO SIT
HERE AND WATCH, IS IT NOT?
AND TO WATCH A SLAUGHTER, TO
WATCH THAT CONVOY AND DO NOTHING
ABOUT IT.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK WE
SHOULD BE DOING MORE THAT YOU
THINK FOLKS HAVE TOO HESITANT TO
TRY?
>> WELL, LISTEN, $10 BILLION OF
BOTH DEFENSIVE LETHAL EQUIPMENT
ADDED ON TO THE BILLION DOLLARS
OF JUST DEFENSIVE LETHAL
EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE SUPPLIED TO
UKRAINE IS A HUGE BOOST TO THE
UKRAINIANS' ABILITY TO FIGHT AT
THE END OF THE DAY.
I THINK WE STRATEGICALLY HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT THE WEST AS WELL.
WE NEED ZELENSKYY TO BE SAFE
BECAUSE AS WE FACE THE
CHALLENGES OF KYIV, WE NEED TO
HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT WE CAN
WORK WITH IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
AND SO, LOOKING AT THE WEST AND
HOW WE PROTECT THAT LINE OF
ASSISTANCE IS IMPORTANT.
I SEE A LOT OF THE BOMBING, THE
INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING,
INCLUDING OF CIVILIAN TARGETS,
KNOT
NOT WITHSTANDING WHAT THE
RUSSIANS SAY, THEY ARE TARGETING
HOSPITALS AND BUSINESSES AND
OTHER KEY AREAS, AND THEY'RE
COMING FROM BALLISTIC MISSILES.
SO IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION OF
AIR SPACE, THAT WON'T
NECESSARILY STOP CREWUISE AND
OTHER MISSILES THAT THE RUSSIANS
HAVE AND HAVE BEEN USING IN THIS
REGARD.
SO, I THINK WE NEED TO GET THIS
$10 BILLION PASSED, WE NEED TO
GET THE AID TO THEM.
AND I HAVE BEEN APPROVING, AS
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE THAT HAS
JURISDICTION OVER ARMS SALES AND
ARMS TRANSFERS TO OTHER
COUNTRIES, I HAVE BEEN APPROVING
IT AS QUICKLY AS THEY SEND IT TO
ME.
>> HOW ARE WE GETTING -- I MEAN,
ARE YOU CONVINCED WE'RE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ACTUALLY
GET THESE WEAPONS INTO THE HANDS
OF UKRAINIANS?
I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE REALLY
ONLY HAVE ONE WAY TO DO IT,
RIGHT, THROUGH POLAND, THROUGH
THE WEST.
>> THAT'S BASICALLY OUR TRANSIT
POINT NOW, AND THERE'S WHY, YOU
KNOW, SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE
BECAUSE THE MORE THAT WE CAN PUT
IN THE UKRAINIANS' HANDS, THEN
THE MORE THAT THEY'LL HAVE BOTH
TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE
RUSSIANS AS WELL AS TO IMPEDE
THE PROCESS OF ANY DECISION OF
THE RUSSIANS TO MOVE TOWARDS THE
WEST TO CUT THAT TRANSIT LINE.
SO TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND
THAT'S WHY I STRONGLY SUPPORT
THE ADMINISTRATION'S CALL FOR
THE $10 BILLION.
IT'S FURTHER THAN WHAT WAS
ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, BUT FROM
EVERY ESTIMATE I'VE HEARD FROM
BOTH THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE AND
THE DEFENSE SIDE, IT'S AN
APPROPRIATE NUMBER.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO IF WE DO
THIS OIL EMBARGO, AND IT SEEMS
LIKE THERE'S A GROWING NUMBER IN
CONGRESS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
IT HAPPEN, A LOT OF REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS SAY IT SHOULD BE IN
CONJUNCTION WITH A SORT OF
OPENING UP OF MORE EXPLORATION
HERE.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THAT?
AND IS THERE A LINE WHERE YOU
THINK, YEAH, MAYBE WE SHOULD --
MAYBE WE SHOULD EXPAND SOME
PRODUCTION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME OF FOSSIL FUELS?
WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS?
>> WELL, LOOK, I DON'T THINK ONE
HINGES ON THE OTHER.
I HOPE MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES
AREN'T SAYING WE SHOULD STOP
RUSSIAN OIL ONLY IF WE HAVE MORE
EXPLORATION.
THAT WOULD BE PRETTY OUTRAGEOUS.
SO, I THINK WE SHOULD STOP
RUSSIAN OIL.
NOW, HOW THE PRESIDENT CHOOSES
TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THAT
PERCENTAGE OF RUSSIAN OIL THAT
EQUALS THE ENTIRE OIL OF THE
UNITED STATES THAT IT IMPORTS IS
A QUESTION FOR HIM TO DECIDE,
WHETHER HE OPENS UP MORE OF THE
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVES,
WHETHER HE GETS ALLIES THAT ARE
OIL-PRODUCING NATIONS TO STEP UP
TO THE PLATE, OR WHETHER HE
PERMITS SOME INCREASE OF
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION ON LANDS
THAT ARE ALREADY IN PRODUCTION.
>> SENATOR, BIG PICTURE HERE,
FOR NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE NONE OF
THIS HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE
RUSSIAN GOFLTD, RIGHTVERNMENT, R
PUTIN IS MORE DEFIANT, SEEMS.
TO BE MORE INTENT ON TRYING TO
STRIKE BACK, AND HE MAY BE
REACTING EMOTIONALLY.
IT ISN'T EASY TO SEE HOW THIS
ENDS.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE
THIS GOES NEXT?
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE
PUTIN'S -- WHAT IS BEING SHARED
WITH YOU ABOUT PUTIN'S SORT OF
PERSONA THESE DAYS?
>> CHUCK, I DISAGREE WITH YOU A
LITTLE BIT THAT IT HASN'T HURT
THE RUSSIANS.
THEY'RE HURTING MIGHTILY.
YOU KNOW, A FRONT OF MINE PASSED
THROUGH THE AIRPORT AND THE
EXCHANGE RATE WHERE IS YOU CAN
EXCHANGE CURRENCY, AND THE RUBLE
IS BEING BOUGHT AT ZERO.
THE REALITY IS THAT THEIR
RESERVES ARE FROZEN.
HE NEEDS THOSE RESERVES TO
CONTINUE HIS WAR.
YOU HAVE LONG LINES OF RUSSIANS
TRYING TO GET THEIR MONEY OUT.
BELIEVE ME, YOU KNOW, THEIR
SOVEREIGN DEBT HAS BEEN REDUCED
BY THE MAJOR RATING AGENCIES TO
JUNK BOND.
THIS IS HAVING A REAL
CONSEQUENCE.
NOW, WHETHER HE IS CONTINUING,
WILLING TO ACCEPT ALL OF THOSE
CONSEQUENCES ON BEHALF OF THE
RUSSIAN PEOPLE IN ORDER TO
PURSUE HIS GOAL OF TAKING
UKRAINE AND EXTENDING TO WHAT
WAS THE SOVIET UNION AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE, THAT'S ANOTHER
QUESTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT ISN'T THAT HE
ISN'T BEING HURT.
HE MAY BE WILLING TO TAKE THE
PAIN BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE
RUSSIAN PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE
PAIN.
AS TO HIS MENTAL STATUS, LOOK,
HE HAS BEEN CLUSTERED LARGELY
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
COVID WAS SUPPOSEDLY THE REASON,
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ANYBODY TELLING TRUTH TO POWER