Montana’s senior U.S. Senator and chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense isn’t holding out hope for a significant de-escalation of tension in the East-West faceoff over Ukraine.
Democrat Jon Tester tells Montana Public Radio the situation is discouraging and could have global impacts.
“We’ve got monetary sanctions, financial sanctions we’re putting on, which is going to hurt them bad. But in the end if folks won't listen to reason, they do irrational things, and I think that's what Putin’s doing right now — we just have to hope that this turns out for the best, which doesn’t look too good right now.”
Russian lawmakers have authorized President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside his country. President Joe Biden and European leaders responded by slapping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banks.