Latest news with #Blumenthal
Russia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
Ex-Trump advisor calls for seizure of US senator's passport
US Senator Lindsey Graham should be thrown in jail or have his passport revoked for 'stirring up' the Ukraine conflict, former adviser to President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, has said. Bannon made the comment after Graham, along with US Senator Richard Blumenthal, visited Kiev last week. There they met with Vladimir Zelensky and discussed, among other things, additional sanctions on Russia and further cooperation between Ukraine and the US. Immediately after the visit Kiev lunched mass drone attacks on multiple Russian airfields, claiming to have damaged over 40 warplanes, including strategic bombers. Moscow has not confirmed the loss of any aircraft and claims to have shot down most of the drones. Bannon and other critics of US involvement in the Ukraine conflict have since speculated that Graham may have encouraged Zelensky to launch the 'audacious' attack, which they claim could have led to a serious escalation, given that it targeted Russia's strategic aviation. Speaking to NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Monday, Bannon claimed that by meeting with Zelensky, Graham was giving Ukraine 'false hope false hope that we're there to support them in engaging Russia in a kinetic conflict. 'We are not,' Bannon stressed, adding that the US was getting 'sucked' into the Ukraine conflict by people like Graham and could soon find it 'tough' to get out. 'We can't have Lindsey Graham, and particularly Zelensky, leading us into a third world war with a deep strike into Russia,' Bannon insisted, suggesting that US authorities should either 'cancel [Graham's] passport and don't let him back in the country, or put him in jail if he comes back.' Following Monday's attack, which targeted sites from Murmansk in the Arctic to Irkutsk in Siberia, a number of military experts pointed out that Kiev does not have the technical capability to conduct drone strikes that deep into Russian territory. Guillaume Ancel, a writer and former French army lieutenant colonel, told Le Monde that the attack is 'possible and conceivable only with the support of a powerful satellite communications system,' based on intelligence provided by the US. Throughout the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has repeatedly described the hostilities as a Western proxy war against Russia and has condemned foreign military assistance to Kiev as counterproductive to the peace process.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb ranks with 'raid on Bin Laden,' US Senator Blumenthal says
Ukraine's recent drone strike against Russian bombers was a show of "skill and audacity" comparable to the U.S. operation to kill Osama bin Laden, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal told Politico in an interview published on June 3. The Operation Spiderweb, conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on June 1, reportedly hit 41 bomber planes and other aircraft, inflicting what Kyiv claims is $7 billion in damage and disabling over a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet. "Just in the skill and audacity of these attacks, it will rank with the United States raid on Osama bin Laden and the Israeli pager operation as one of the great military achievements in recent years," Blumenthal said, adding that Ukraine "can hit anywhere." The SBU said 117 drones, launched from concealed trucks positioned across Russian territory, simultaneously struck airfields in at least four regions — including sites thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The targeted air bases reportedly housed Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, essential carriers of long-range cruise missiles used in Moscow's air strikes on Ukrainian cities. Bin Laden, the late leader of the al-Qaeda terror group responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., was killed by U.S. special forces at his compound in Pakistan on May 2, 2011. Blumenthal, a Democratic lawmaker, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham are co-sponsors of a new bill that would impose additional sanctions on Russia as it continues to reject a ceasefire. The lawmakers are meeting a Ukrainian delegation—including Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak—in Washington this week to discuss sanctions and defense cooperation with the U.S. According to Blumenthal, battlefield successes could help convince U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been reluctant to impose fresh sanctions, to take the step. Trump is yet to comment on the Ukrainian operation, while the White House confirmed he was not informed about it in advance. His special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said the attack shows that Kyiv is "not lying down" but warned that an attack against Russia's nuclear-capable plans could risk further escalation of the war. Read also: 'Closer to victory' – Operation Spiderweb gives much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians after 3 years of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump's special envoy concerned over Ukrainian Spider's Web operation, saying "risk level goes up"
US President's special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has said that Ukraine has raised the level of risk in its war with Russia by conducting Operation Spider's Web, although he acknowledged the operation's boldness. Source: Kellogg in an interview with Fox News, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kellogg stated that through this special operation, Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to strike Russian targets deep inside Russian territory. He emphasised that the significance of these strikes lies not so much in the destruction of aircraft, but in their psychological effect on the Russian leadership and military. At the same time, Kellogg voiced concerns that such attacks could increase the risk of escalation. Quote: "When you attack an opponent's part of the national survival system – which is their triad, their nuclear triad – that means your risk level goes up because you don't know what the other is going to do… It's a very emboldened act. And when you do that, it's very clear that the risk levels will go up. That is what we try to avoid." More details: Kellogg added that the special operation showed Ukraine is not backing down. Quote: "Ukraine is not lying down on this, basically saying: we can play this game too. And they can raise the risk level to a level that is basically to me, they've got to be unacceptable." Background: US Senator Richard Blumenthal earlier compared Ukraine's recent drone strikes on military targets deep in Russian territory to the operation that eliminated "terrorist number one" Osama bin Laden. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Security Service of Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web demonstrated the country's ability to make effective tactical decisions in the war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukrainian delegation to brief senators amid Russia sanctions push
A Ukrainian delegation is set to brief U.S. senators Wednesday as lawmakers weigh a sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and its biggest energy customers, China and India. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who told POLITICO he organized the meeting with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said all 100 senators were invited to attend the closed-door session. 'It's a pivotal moment in Ukraine — and crunch time for the Senate on this bill,' said Blumenthal, noting that the legislation now has 82 co-sponsors, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The visiting delegation, he told POLITICO, includes Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Serhii Boyev, is traveling with Yermack. The sanctions package from Blumenthal and Graham is designed to increase pressure on Russia's wartime economy by targeting countries that buy oil and gas — a move Blumenthal said could be a 'game changer.' He also pointed to recent long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia — dubbed 'Operation Spiderweb' — as evidence of Ukraine's agility and resolve. Those strikes, he said, counter 'a false narrative that Ukraine is losing the war,' and could shift momentum in Washington in favor of increasing aid for Ukraine.'They can strike air bases 4,000 miles from Ukraine; They can hit anywhere,' Blumenthal said. 'Just in the skill and audacity of these attacks, it will rank with the United States raid on Osama bin Laden and the Israeli pager operation as one of the great military achievements in recent years.' Blumenthal said the White House remains hesitant to support the sanctions bill, but the battlefield momentum could sway President Donald Trump and skeptical lawmakers. 'Events will move the White House — and maybe some of the president's friends here,' he said, referring to Graham. 'Congress can … move ahead. [Trump] doesn't have to support it.'
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Ukrainian delegation to brief senators amid Russia sanctions push
A Ukrainian delegation is set to brief U.S. senators Wednesday as lawmakers weigh a sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and its biggest energy customers, China and India. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who told POLITICO he organized the meeting with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said all 100 senators were invited to attend the closed-door session. 'It's a pivotal moment in Ukraine — and crunch time for the Senate on this bill,' said Blumenthal, noting that the legislation now has 82 co-sponsors, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The visiting delegation, he told POLITICO, includes Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Serhii Boyev, is traveling with Yermack. The sanctions package from Blumenthal and Graham is designed to increase pressure on Russia's wartime economy by targeting countries that buy oil and gas — a move Blumenthal said could be a 'game changer.' He also pointed to recent long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia — dubbed 'Operation Spiderweb' — as evidence of Ukraine's agility and resolve. Those strikes, he said, counter 'a false narrative that Ukraine is losing the war,' and could shift momentum in Washington in favor of increasing aid for Ukraine.'They can strike air bases 4,000 miles from Ukraine; They can hit anywhere,' Blumenthal said. 'Just in the skill and audacity of these attacks, it will rank with the United States raid on Osama bin Laden and the Israeli pager operation as one of the great military achievements in recent years.' Blumenthal said the White House remains hesitant to support the sanctions bill, but the battlefield momentum could sway President Donald Trump and skeptical lawmakers. 'Events will move the White House — and maybe some of the president's friends here,' he said, referring to Graham. 'Congress can … move ahead. [Trump] doesn't have to support it.'
