Senator Merkley Says U.S.  Must Not Directly Engage Russian Troops

One of Oregon’s U.S. Senators explains the line the U.S. must not cross, in the war in Ukraine.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley tells KXL’s Annette Newell, it’s not the role for the U.S. to directly engage with Russian troops in the sky or on the ground, because he says, “That is a formula for a world war.”  He says it’s potentially: “Even a nuclear war.  We need to be very clear about that line, but while not engaging the Russians directly we can do a whole lot to help the people of Ukraine.”

He defends the sanctions against Russia, no matter how painful they are for the ordinary Russian citizen, to counteract what he calls Putin’s lies about what’s really happening in Ukraine.

“There has to be a reason for people in Russia to say, what the hell is really going on here?”

Merkley is speaking out in support of the Ukrainian people. 

He says the federal government’s just approved another 13 billion dollars in aid, as the U.S. is joining other nations to also provide military support and humanitarian assistance. 

The senator spoke with Newell on Sunday.

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