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A solid majority of Republicans and Democrats agree that imposing sanctions on Russia is a good idea, according to a recent Washington Post poll. Among the findings: “in an unheard of alignment of the far left and far right, 68 percent of liberal Democrats support sanctions, as do 69 percent of conservative Republicans.”
These findings seem to confirm that most Americans see the need to stand up to Russian hostilities in the Crimean peninsula and Eastern Europe. And as Heritage experts have said, “targeted sanctions aimed directly at Russian officials responsible for violating Ukrainian sovereignty, including freezing financial assets and imposing visa bans” must be a part of U.S. strategy in order to send a clear message to Moscow.
Of course, beyond economic sanctions, there are a number of things the White House could do right away to ensure that Russia understands that the United States and our partners around the world will not allow this belligerence to go unchecked. Among them must include pulling out immediately from the New START treaty that undercuts U.S. security.
In the absence of clear and resolute response from the international community, American leadership must fill that void and be a force for good in the world. And as this poll suggests, the American people would support sanctions on Russia.
Mr. President, what are you waiting for?