During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spoke about a bipartisan package of sanctions on Russia.
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00:00Quick presentation here then Senator Ernst will follow and I just want to
00:05compliment her for all the effort she has made to stand by Ukraine and make
00:11sure that this war ends in a way that's honorably unjust and we can stop the
00:15killing but do it in a way that we don't have future wars because we made a
00:20mistake here. So there's so many things going on in the world right now that are
00:29very dangerous you have Iran close to a nuclear breakout you have the war in
00:33Russia and Ukraine it is killing 5,000 people a day only God knows how many
00:39people actually being killed or wounded hard to track but it's just massive it's
00:43a major land war in Europe and we thought those days were behind us we got you
00:48know threats from China we got all kind of things going on in the world so my
00:53advice is when you have a hard decision to make make sure you look at it through a
00:57moral clarity lens make it simple Russia is the problem not Ukraine Ukraine didn't
01:06invade Russia Russia invaded Ukraine we need some moral clarity on all these
01:11issues Iran is not trying to have civilian nuclear power they're trying to build a
01:17bomb you need to take them at the word as to what they intended to do over time
01:22they intend to destroy the state of Israel purify Islam and come after us that's
01:27what they say they write on their missiles death to Israel they call us the
01:31great Satan they have 600 pounds of highly enriched uranium it's 60% that's
01:38enough for six or seven or maybe more bombs from 60 to 90% enrichment is less than a
01:43month they have one civilian nuclear reactor how much uranium has been used to run
01:49that reactor enriched by Iran itself not one gram they get all the fuel to run the
01:54civilian reactor from Russia so they're trying to stockpile weapons grade uranium
02:01to make a bomb and they lie cheat and steal and we catch them all the time so some
02:06moral clarity here Iran with a nuclear weapon is not only unacceptable it's the
02:11biggest threat to the planet as I see it the Arab nations want a nuclear weapon of
02:16their own in Israel one holocaust is sufficient this is the 80th anniversary of the end of
02:22World War two just happened a few days ago and during that war there was an
02:27effort to annihilate the Jews the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 was a
02:31significant world event and there's a saying in Israel never again they
02:36actually mean it so how about some moral clarity from the United States here we're
02:41with Israel if Israel has to use military force to destroy or degrade the nuclear
02:48capability of Iran we should be with them I am glad we're trying to find a peaceful
02:54solution to the Iranian problem if you can get Iran to dismantle their nuclear
02:59program then that is that gets us to where I want to go but they have to
03:04dismantle right now there's discussions between Russia Ukraine and the United States
03:12and Europe about how to end this war Putin in my view is playing us all president
03:21Trump called for a 30-day ceasefire Ukraine said yes Russia said no president
03:28Trump urged Zelensky and Putin to go to Istanbul I was over there and meet to have
03:34direct talks Zelensky went Putin didn't so there was a call a couple of days ago
03:41between president Trump and Putin the Russians now are supposed to submit a term
03:45sheet about what it takes to get a ceasefire that's supposed to happen in a
03:49few days they're talking about going to the Vatican and having direct
03:54negotiations I'm all for all of that but I don't know about how I think most
03:59people feel like I do we've given Russia plenty of opportunity to find a
04:05honorable and just end of this war they are not interested and they're not
04:10going to change until with up the ante so we need moral clarity here Putin is
04:15dragging this out he believes he's winning on the battlefield I don't
04:19believe he is he's defying every effort and that's been earnest by President
04:25Trump to find a solution to this war President Trump says he wants to stop the
04:30slaughter and the killing he's right to do so but this is a time of decision-making
04:36this has gone on too long too many games being played and I'll tell you just in
04:42a minute what the Senate can do but what we need when it comes to Russia Ukraine is
04:48moral clarity now when President Trump focuses on an issue and takes a firm
04:59stand it always works he is standing up to China and the world who's been ripping
05:07us off on trade he has a policy now that whatever you charge us on tariffs we're
05:13going to charge you it's called reciprocal trade he has imposed tariffs on
05:19China everybody in this body goes home and talks about how China rips us off well
05:24Trump's actually doing something about it China steals our intellectual property they
05:28manipulate the currency to give them a trade advantage and that needs to come
05:34to an end so when President Trump focuses on fixing a problem writing a
05:40wrong he gets good results because the world now is calling Washington wanting
05:46deals and I think you're gonna see a lot of good trade deals to right the wrong of
05:51trade abuse because President Trump stood up and insisted we get a better
05:56outcome the border when he got in office one of his top priorities was to fix a
06:02broken border look what's happened with the lowest daily number of border
06:07encounters fell to less than 200 the lowest in history he's turned it all off
06:13because he was firm and resolved with Mexico and others his border policies have
06:20worked he has shut down a broken border literally in months because he had the desire and the
06:27will to do it and people responded and we are getting a great result at the border because of his
06:34determination and his will to do so we went from 7200 in March of 20 7200 down to 200 it's amazing
06:45the drop because of his policies China I just talked about he is taking China on and I'm hoping we can
06:56reach a deal with China that will level out the trading playing field and China is talking to us we're
07:03talking with China the world is responding to President Trump's tariffs we're going to get a bunch of good
07:07trade deals and I very much appreciate that what he said about Iran you know it's not
07:14complicated formula Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon that's all there is that's
07:19moral clarity that's you can understand that no matter where you're at on the
07:26planet you know it's not complicated formula Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon
07:32that's all there is we're in talks with Iran whether or not they achieve a result I
07:37don't know but I don't mind trying but I do know this time is not on our side and
07:41President Trump said we're going to end the nuclear program one way or the other and when
07:48he said it I think the Iranians believe it and when he says it I believe it and the best chance to
07:55stop the Iran nuclear program is with President Trump's leadership moral clarity again regarding Russia
08:04Ukraine Russia is the aggressor Russia must end this bloodbath now he's talked about ending the
08:12bloodbath I am saying from my point of view Russia is the aggressor Ukraine like every other nation is
08:20not perfect but they have thought like Tigers in 1994 8 I can't remember they gave up 1700 nuclear weapons
08:30the Budapest memorandum in return Russia the United States Great Britain promised territorial integrity
08:38they gave up 1700 nuclear weapons with a promise from these countries they would be safe territorially
08:46Russia has violated that promise numerous times they're constantly harassing their neighbors
08:52this is the second invasion of Ukraine by Russia they have a view that Ukraine belongs to them no it
08:59doesn't it belongs to the people of Ukraine a sovereign nation and if you have a dispute with the
09:05country there's ways to arbitrate land disputes Putin is trying to rewrite the map of Europe by force of arms
09:13if he gets away with this if he's seen to have been rewarded for this you'll get more of this
09:19there goes Taiwan Russia is the aggressor Russia must end this bloodbath that is my view
09:27of this situation let's look in history and see what happens when you have moral clarity
09:35and see what happens when you lose it
09:38September 27th 1938
09:45here's what Chamberlain said
09:49how horrible fantastic incredible it is that we should be
09:53digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between
10:00people of whom we know nothing that was his view of what Hitler was doing
10:05why do we care we don't know these people we don't speak their language
10:10not exactly moral clarity in the face of Nazi oppression
10:15however much we may be sympathized with a small nation confronted by a big and powerful neighbor
10:21we cannot in all circumstances undertake to involve the whole British Empire in a war simply on her account
10:28well we know what that small country was
10:31well it led to the slaughter of 50 million people
10:34it enticed Putin excuse me Hitler to keep going
10:38and Hitler told you what he was going to do he wrote a book
10:41but Chamberlain obviously didn't read the book
10:44and he didn't have the moral clarity to confront the Nazi regime
10:49and a lot of people died
10:50September the 30th 1938
10:53I believe it is peace for our time
10:57a paper signed by Adolf Hitler
11:00that he waved to the world
11:01less than a year later the world's on fire
11:06this is what happens
11:08when you don't realize what's going on
11:11you misread evil
11:13you think Hitler is something he's not
11:16this is an example of not having moral clarity
11:21it leads to a worldwide war
11:23Russia
11:25the Soviet Union
11:28this is an example of moral clarity
11:32President John F. Kennedy
11:34let every nation know
11:37whether it wishes us well or ill
11:40that we shall pay any price
11:42bear any burden
11:44meet any hardship
11:45support any friend
11:47oppose any foe
11:48to assure the survival
11:50and the success of liberty
11:52when all are free
11:55then we can look forward to that day
11:57when this city will be joined as one
11:59and this country
12:01in this great kind of Europe
12:02is in a peaceful
12:04and hopeful globe
12:05he was talking about Berlin
12:07moral clarity
12:10to the Soviet Union
12:11he stood up
12:14for freedom
12:15stood against
12:18the Soviet Empire
12:19and along comes
12:23my favorite
12:24Ronald Reagan
12:26Mr. Gorbachev
12:29tear down this wall
12:31how clear could you be
12:34on the other side of this wall
12:37is an evil empire
12:40that moral clarity
12:43over time
12:44brought the Soviet Union
12:45down to its knees
12:48Russia today
12:50Putin's Russia
12:52is an evil country
12:54oppressing its own people
12:56harassing its neighbor
12:58wanting to take things
12:59that are not theirs
13:00wanting to recreate
13:02the Soviet Union
13:03the Russian Empire
13:04and they're using
13:06every ghastly
13:07terrible tactic
13:08in the military book
13:10bombing civilians
13:12killing people
13:13by tens of thousands
13:15so when it comes to Putin
13:19we need to have
13:20moral clarity
13:21as Reagan and Kennedy
13:24had with the Soviet Union
13:25it's not enough
13:30to give speeches
13:32these were great speeches
13:34but what we did
13:37against the Soviet Union
13:38is we built up
13:39our military
13:40Ronald Reagan
13:41went to Star Wars
13:42and they couldn't
13:43keep up
13:44we not only
13:47opposed the Soviet Union
13:49in rhetoric
13:49we opposed it
13:50in capability
13:51what do we do
13:54now with Putin
13:55how do we end
13:57this war
13:57I'm not out
13:59to humiliate
14:00Russia or Putin
14:01but I am out
14:02to end this war
14:03soon
14:04not later
14:06but soon
14:07in a way
14:07not to start
14:08another war
14:09when we left
14:11Afghanistan
14:12dishonorably
14:16and disgracefully
14:17it set in motion
14:19a belief
14:21that the United States
14:22will not stand
14:23by its allies
14:24and we're inherently weak
14:25I believe that
14:27and the
14:28presiding officer
14:29of the Senate
14:30understands what happens
14:32when politicians
14:33get it wrong
14:34people like him
14:35and his old job
14:36pay a heavy price
14:37they go all over the world
14:38fighting these guys
14:39because when we pulled
14:41out of Afghanistan
14:42every jihadist
14:43was on steroids
14:44Putin licked his chops
14:46and he went in
14:47to Ukraine
14:48and Iran
14:50kept enriching
14:51and sort of
14:52the rest is history
14:53that was a horrible
14:55decision
14:55we're paying the price
14:56for it today
14:57to my colleagues
14:58Republican and Democrat
15:00if we don't get
15:02Ukraine Russia right
15:03it will be worse
15:04than Afghanistan
15:04if it is seen
15:06when this is all over
15:08that Putin was rewarded
15:10for his aggression
15:10I'm not trying
15:12to humiliate Russia
15:13but I am trying
15:14to make sure
15:15they not rewarded
15:16in a way
15:17that China
15:17will be enticed
15:19to take Taiwan
15:20or Iran
15:22will believe
15:22we're all talking
15:23the West
15:24when it comes
15:25to their nuclear capability
15:26isolating Israel
15:28even further
15:28so speeches
15:30are important
15:32moral clarity
15:33is the right lens
15:35from which
15:36to look through
15:38regarding aggression
15:39and evil
15:40but we have to do
15:42more than talk
15:43I appreciate
15:44President Trump's
15:45earnest effort
15:46to bring the parties
15:48together
15:49to find a solution
15:50we can all live with
15:51to keep an independent
15:53sovereign Ukraine
15:54and end this war
15:56sooner rather than later
15:57it is clear to me
15:59after all these months
16:00the earnest efforts
16:02by President Trump
16:03are not being equally met
16:04I think Zelensky
16:06is ready
16:06to make concessions
16:08to end this war
16:10Putin seems to be
16:11more talking
16:12and less acting
16:14what can we do
16:16to up the inning
16:17what can we do
16:19in the United States Senate
16:21to change the equation
16:23what can we do
16:25to persuade
16:27Russia
16:28to get to the peace table
16:30we can impose
16:33bone crushing
16:34sanctions
16:35on Putin's Russia
16:37and he has
16:39earned that
16:40I hate it
16:42for the Russian people
16:43but it is now
16:45time to increase
16:46the cost
16:47of this war
16:47to Putin
16:48the sanction package
16:50that we have put together
16:51has 80
16:52co-sponsors
16:53do you know
16:54how hard it is
16:55to get 80
16:56senators
16:57to agree
16:58on anything
16:5980 of us
17:01and the number
17:02is climbing
17:02are ready
17:04to impose
17:04sanctions
17:05on Russia
17:06if he does not
17:07come to the table
17:08and earnestly
17:09seek peace
17:10Putin
17:11and these sanctions
17:13are geared
17:15toward China
17:16there are tariffs
17:19in these sanctions
17:20on any nation
17:21that buys
17:23Russian oil
17:24and gas
17:24from the
17:25shadow fleet
17:26Putin's war
17:28machine
17:28is propped up
17:30by China
17:32and India
17:33buying
17:33Russian oil
17:34at a massive
17:36discount
17:36to keep
17:37the war machine
17:38and Putin
17:39running
17:39so what have we
17:41decided to do
17:42here
17:43focus on those
17:45causing the problem
17:46not just Putin
17:47focus on his
17:49customers
17:49most of Europe
17:50has weaned
17:51themselves off
17:52Russian oil
17:53and gas
17:53that's a major
17:54advancement
17:55but it's now
17:56time to let
17:57the Chinese
17:58know
17:58if you want
17:59to be a
18:00normal country
18:01act normal
18:02if you want
18:03to have a better
18:04relationship
18:04with the United
18:05States and Europe
18:06help us
18:07don't fuel
18:08the flames
18:09of a bloodbath
18:11don't buy
18:12cheap oil
18:13from a
18:14despot
18:15because you
18:16you can
18:17with a
18:17punity
18:18those days
18:20of buying
18:21cheap oil
18:22from Putin
18:23without a
18:24punity
18:24with a
18:26punity
18:27are coming
18:27to a close
18:28we're going
18:30to act
18:31and how
18:33we act
18:33and when
18:34we act
18:34will be a
18:35political
18:36exercise
18:37among the
18:37body
18:37talking to
18:39the White
18:39House
18:40talking to
18:41our allies
18:42but to
18:43China
18:43I would
18:46like a
18:46better
18:46relationship
18:47we have
18:48a lot
18:49of
18:49opportunity
18:50to grow
18:50our
18:50economies
18:51together
18:51but if
18:52you keep
18:53supporting
18:54Putin
18:54and fueling
18:56his war
18:57machine
18:57you'll never
18:58have a
18:59normal
18:59relationship
19:00with the
19:00United
19:00States
19:00Senate
19:01to our
19:04friends in
19:04India
19:04watch
19:05what you
19:06are doing
19:07so
19:08to my
19:09colleagues
19:09seldom
19:11do we
19:12have a
19:13chance
19:13to speak
19:13with one
19:14voice
19:15at such
19:16an important
19:16time
19:17the entire
19:18world is
19:19watching the
19:19United States
19:20Senate
19:20I just
19:21got back
19:21from Turkey
19:22with Secretary
19:23Rubio
19:23who invited
19:24me to
19:24go
19:24he allowed
19:26me to
19:26speak
19:27to every
19:28foreign
19:28minister
19:28of our
19:29NATO
19:29allies
19:29talking
19:30about
19:31the
19:31Senate
19:31bill
19:31telling
19:34them
19:34that the
19:35Senate
19:35is an
19:35independent
19:36body
19:36and that
19:38we're
19:38moving
19:38down the
19:39road
19:39to
19:39holding
19:40Putin
19:40accountable
19:41the
19:42world
19:43is
19:44watching
19:44the
19:45Senate
19:45in a
19:46way
19:46I
19:46haven't
19:46seen
19:47since
19:47I've
19:47been
19:47here
19:48we
19:49have
19:49a
19:50chance
19:50my
19:51colleagues
19:52to help
19:53end
19:53this
19:53war
19:53we have
19:55a chance
19:56to push
19:57Putin to
19:57the table
19:58and if
20:00we fail
20:01as a
20:01world
20:02not only
20:03does this
20:03war
20:04continue
20:04but we're
20:04going to
20:05start
20:05new
20:05wars
20:06I've
20:07never
20:07been
20:07more
20:07proud
20:08of
20:08this
20:08body
20:08than
20:09I am
20:09right
20:09now
20:09we have
20:10come
20:11together
20:11in a
20:11bipartisan
20:12fashion
20:13there are
20:14a group
20:14of
20:15house
20:15members
20:15that
20:16will
20:16take
20:16the
20:16Senate
20:16bill
20:17and
20:18sign
20:18a
20:18discharge
20:18petition
20:19now
20:19what
20:19does
20:20that
20:20mean
20:20it's
20:20coming
20:20to
20:20the
20:21floor
20:21of
20:21the
20:21house
20:21no
20:22matter
20:22what
20:22so
20:24we
20:24stand
20:24ready
20:25to
20:25act
20:28talk
20:28to
20:29all
20:29of
20:29my
20:29colleagues
20:29who
20:30have
20:31a
20:31say
20:31in
20:31how
20:31this
20:31bill
20:32moves
20:32forward
20:32and
20:33I'm
20:33going
20:34to
20:34urge
20:34them
20:34to
20:34get
20:35ready
20:35to
20:35act
20:36we've
20:37sat
20:37on
20:38the
20:38sidelines
20:38too
20:38long
20:39we
20:40watched
20:40too
20:40many
20:41people
20:41get
20:41slaughtered
20:42by
20:42Putin
20:42we
20:43put
20:43sanctions
20:44on
20:44but
20:44they
20:44haven't
20:45worked
20:45the
20:45way
20:45they
20:46should
20:46what
20:47we're
20:47doing
20:47in
20:47the
20:47Senate
20:47is
20:48a
20:48game
20:48changer
20:49it
20:50will
20:50affect
20:51China
20:51who
20:52is
20:52the
20:53biggest
20:53fuel
20:55provides
20:55the
20:56most
20:56fuel
20:56to
20:56Putin's
20:57war
20:57machine
20:58in a
20:59dramatic
20:59fashion
21:00and to
21:00China
21:00I don't
21:01want to
21:01do
21:01that
21:01I
21:02will
21:03if I
21:03have
21:03to
21:03I
21:04want
21:04you
21:04to
21:04help
21:05us
21:05in
21:05this
21:05war
21:05I'm
21:06not
21:06looking
21:07to
21:07punish
21:07or
21:08destroy
21:09your
21:12economy
21:12or hurt
21:13our
21:13economy
21:13I'm
21:14looking
21:14to
21:14get
21:14a
21:14result
21:15here
21:15but
21:16I'll
21:16end
21:17where
21:17I
21:17started
21:17if
21:19we
21:19have
21:19to
21:20we
21:21will
21:21President
21:24Kennedy
21:24said
21:25we'll
21:25pay
21:25any
21:26price
21:26and
21:26bear
21:27any
21:27burden
21:27he
21:29was
21:29right
21:29President
21:31Reagan
21:32said
21:32tear
21:34down
21:34this
21:35wall
21:35in
21:37this
21:37evil
21:37empire
21:38sometimes
21:39freedom
21:41comes
21:41at a
21:41heavy
21:42price
21:42the
21:44Ukrainians
21:44are
21:44paying
21:45that
21:45price
21:45and
21:46I
21:46am
21:46so
21:46proud
21:46of
21:47them
21:47they're
21:48fighting
21:48like
21:49tigers
21:49and
21:49they're
21:49dying
21:50by
21:50the
21:50thousands
21:51and
21:52they're
21:52not
21:52going
21:52to
21:53quit
21:53no
21:53matter
21:53what
21:53we
21:54do
21:54nor
21:56should
21:56they
21:56so
21:57this
21:58is a
21:58moment
21:58of
21:59reckoning
21:59this
22:01is a
22:01moment
22:01that
22:02matters
22:02all
22:03of us
22:03got
22:03to
22:04the
22:04senate
22:04and
22:05it's
22:05not
22:05a
22:06easy
22:06path
22:06to
22:07take
22:07to
22:07get
22:07elected
22:08to
22:08this
22:08body
22:08but
22:09now
22:09you're
22:10here
22:10and
22:11you
22:11have
22:11a
22:11chance
22:12my
22:13colleagues
22:13to
22:13make
22:14a
22:14real
22:14difference
22:15to
22:15make
22:15this
22:16world
22:16safer
22:16and
22:17more
22:18peaceful
22:18let's
22:20not
22:20shrick
22:21the
22:21responsibility
22:22history
22:22has
22:23placed
22:23upon
22:23us
22:23this
22:24is
22:24a
22:24historical
22:25moment
22:25let's
22:26rise
22:27to
22:27the
22:27occasion
22:27like
22:28those
22:29before
22:29us
22:29let's
22:30have
22:30moral
22:31clarity
22:31when it
22:32comes
22:32to
22:32Putin
22:32let's
22:33do
22:34more
22:34than
22:34talk
22:34let's
22:35act
22:35I
22:36will
22:36yield
22:36to
22:36senator
22:37Ernst
22:37who
22:38has
22:38been
22:38a
22:38champion
22:39for
22:39getting
22:40a
22:40good
22:40outcome
22:41for
22:41Ukraine
22:41and
22:41the
22:42world
22:42and
22:42I
22:42very
22:43much
22:43appreciate
22:43all
22:44you've
22:44done
22:46thank
22:47you