A Russian invasion of Ukraine would mark not just a violation of the Eastern European country’s sovereignty, but an attack on democracy as a whole, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday.
“An assault on Ukraine is an assault on democracy,” the California Democrat told ABC’s “This Week.” “The loss of life, the damage, the collateral damage to civilians, to military and the rest are severe if he decides to invade.”
The comments came as Russian forces continued to do drills and maneuvers near the border with Ukraine through the weekend.
About 130,000 Russian troops are gathered there, prompting fears of an imminent invasion, though Russia’s strongman President Vladimir Putin insists he has no such plans. He’s been calling for assurances that Ukraine, a former member of the USSR, will never join NATO, among other measures.
U.S. officials have responded with threats of severe sanctions.
“If he decides to invade, the mothers in Russia don’t like their children going into what he’s had to experience [the] — forgive the expression — body bags from the moms before, so he has to know that war is not an answer,” Pelosi said. “There’s very severe consequences to his aggression, and we are united in using them.”
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