House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday that he would support an effort to codify Russian sanctions in case the White House decides to unilaterally lift or water them down.
Ryan said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he would back Sen. John McCain’s push to codify the sanctions, saying that he is a supporter of the sanctions former President Obama placed on the Russians in response to their attempt to interfere with the November elections.
“I agree. I think we should have done these sanctions a while ago. I was frustrated that the Obama administration took so long to put these sanctions in place,” Ryan said. “If those sanctions were to be watered down, I would for sure support codifying them and making sure they don’t get watered down because I do believe that Russia is a global menace and their interests are not aligned with our interests.”
The Wisconsin Republican acknowledged that interests between the U.S. and Russia do come together in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State, but added that those shared interests will last only for a “period of time.” He also said he doesn’t believe the U.S.-Russia relationship can go much further due to the lack of shared interests, pointing to the failed pushes by past presidents, including George W. Bush and Obama, to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
McCain originally warned the White House not to roll back the sanctions in late January after Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, announced that the lifting of sanctions was under consideration, adding that he would push to codify the sanctions into law if they did so.
Ryan also reiterated his support for the resignation of Mike Flynn, who left his post as national security adviser Monday night, saying that Flynn went too far by not telling the truth about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. with Vice President Mike Pence.
