Rep. Omar's Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar released the following statement in response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms Vladimir Putin's reckless, illegal invasion of Ukraine. My thoughts are with the Ukrainian civilians who have already suffered immensely and are again suffering the brunt of this terrible conflict. We must continue to support diplomacy even as it becomes more difficult – though it is becoming harder to imagine, this could still escalate to something much more devastating.

"I support sanctions that are targeted at Putin, his oligarchs, and the Russian military, including and especially targeted at their offshore assets. But I will continue to oppose broad-based sanctions that would amount to collective punishment of a Russian population that did not choose this. I am heartened that the Biden Administration has included humanitarian exemptions and general licenses to the first tranche of sanctions, but I am also aware that exemptions and licenses have never been sufficient to prevent indiscriminate human suffering.

"Finally, we must direct some of the unity and resolve that we and our partners have shown in this crisis toward the civilians that are in harm's way. This includes making allowances for humanitarian organizations to operate in sanctioned territory, and it also includes preparing to welcome the likely influx of refugees fleeing the conflict. As always, the countries immediately bordering Ukraine will face the greatest burden. The United States should lead by example and begin to resettle refugees here as soon as it becomes necessary. "

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