Tom Reed

Congressman Tom Reed, who watched Ukrainian President Zelenskyy‘s address, said while he’s not an outright advocate for a “No Fly Zone,” it needs to be part of the “toolbox” in dealing with Russia.

Reed, in his weekly media call, said the video shared by Zelenskyy of what Ukraine is enduring is heartbreaking and powerful. He said when it comes to military fly zone restrictions, he prefers it be done along with our allies, “That we provide resources to the Ukraine for military defensive purposes and that we use our united front of our NATO allies as well as other allies to send a message to Russia, ‘Time for this to de-escalate. Time for this to come to an end. And when you’re killing women and children, you’re not going to be on the right end of history and Putin, you should stop.'”

Reed said the U.S. and Congress can work to tighten up sanctions even further on Russia, especially on oligarchs and people who are part of the support structure for Russian President Vladimir Putin, “When it comes to his supports and his circle of influencers and people who are making billions of dollars, millions of dollars in regards to how they support Putin and the policies coming out of Russia, so that is something to consider. I also agree with potentially some of the additional military aid when it comes to javelins (missiles) and other type of military war fighting capabilities being a resource to partner with our allies to provide those resources.”

Reed emphasized again he’s open to all the “tools in the toolbox” and that if Putin continues on this path and doesn’t take a path to stand down that he needs to understand it’s not going to get better.

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. will ban all Russian oil imports.

The Associated Press reports Biden acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump, while toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine.

The action follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports, which had been a glaring omission in the massive sanctions put in place on Russia over the invasion. Energy exports have kept a steady stream of cash flowing to Russia despite otherwise severe restrictions on its financial sector.

Biden said the U.S. was acting in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies and who he acknowledged may not be able to join in immediately. The announcement marked the latest Biden attempt at cutting off Russia from much of the global economy and ensuring that the Ukraine invasion is a strategic loss for President Vladimir Putin, even if he manages to seize territory.

The European Union this week will commit to phasing out its reliance on Russia for energy needs as soon as possible, but filling the void without crippling EU economies will likely take some time. The U.K., which is no longer part of the EU, announced Tuesday that oil and oil products from Russia will be phased out by the end of the year.

Unlike the US, which is a major oil and gas producer, Europe relies on imports for 90% of its gas and 97% of its oil products. Russia supplies 40% of Europe’s gas and a quarter of its oil. The U.S. does not import Russian natural gas.

The issue of oil sanctions has created a conflict for the president between political interests at home and efforts to impose costs on Russia. Though Russian oil makes up only a small part of U.S. imports, Biden has said he was reluctant to ban it, cutting into supplies here and pushing gasoline prices higher.

Inflation is at a 40-year peak, fueled in large part by gas prices, and that could hurt Biden heading into the November midterm elections.

Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. AAA said the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. hit a record $4.17 Tuesday, rising by 10 cents in one day, and up 55 cents since last week.

Even before the U.S. ban, many Western energy companies including ExxonMobil and BP moved to cut ties with Russia and limit imports. Shell, which purchased a shipment of Russian oil this weekend, apologized for the move on Tuesday amid international criticism and pledged to halt further purchases of Russian energy supplies. Preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Department shows imports of Russian crude dropped to zero in the last week in February.

In 2021, the U.S. imported roughly 245 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia — a one-year increase of 24%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

By Viewsridge – Own work, derivate of Russo-Ukraine Conflict (2014-present).svg by Rr016Missile attacks source: BNO NewsCity control sources: Cities and towns during the Russo-Ukrainian War, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115506141

Reuters reports Russian forces have seized two small cities in southeastern Ukraine and the area around a nuclear power plant.

However, the report received from Interfax news agency said troops ran into stiff resistance elsewhere as Moscow’s diplomatic and economic isolation deepened.

After four days of fighting and a Russian advance that has gone more slowly than some expected, talks between Ukraine and Russia started on Monday at the border with Russian ally Belarus, a senior Ukrainian official told Reuters via text message.

The Ukrainian president’s office said the goal was an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.

It was not clear whether any progress could be achieved after President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two and put Russia’s nuclear deterrent on high alert on Sunday.

The Western-led response was swift, with sanctions that effectively cut off Moscow’s major financial institutions from Western markets sending Russia’s rouble currency down 30% against the dollar on Monday. Countries also stepped up weapons supplies to Ukraine.

At least 102 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Thursday, with a further 304 wounded, but U.N. Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said the real figure is feared to be “considerably higher.”
The UN Refugee Agency said more than 360,000 people have fled to neighboring countries.

The Associated Press reports President Joe Biden announced sanctions on Thursday that target Russian banks and the country’s elites, and restrict the export of vital technologies that are key for the military and economic development. The U.S. and its European allies intensified the sanctions on Saturday by announcing plans to freeze the reserves of Russia’s central bank and block certain financial institutions from the SWIFT messaging system for international payments.

But the rules issued by the Treasury Department allow Russian energy transactions to keep going through non-sanctioned banks that are not based in the U.S. And administration officials stress that the sanctions are designed to minimize any disruptions to the global energy markets.

Congressman Tom Reed criticized this action, saying in a statement, “President Biden has shown his true alliance with Putin when he specifically promised, under the announced ‘sanctions package,’ that the US will continue to pay Putin and his oligarch friends billions of dollars for oil and gas production and sales. The United States has the energy resources to knock Russia out of the oil and gas market entirely, but we don’t use those resources because of President Biden’s partisan pandering to the environmental extremists of the Democratic party. Instead of pandering to extremists, we must take the bold actions needed to ensure an evil dictator like Putin and other adversaries existing on the horizon know we will ensure peace is achieved through strength.”

Here in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul directed all New York State agencies and authorities to review and divest public funds from Russia following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Hochul said in a statement, “Russia has chosen to attack democracy and we will stand with Ukraine as we condemn these atrocities. Our state will not permit its own investment activity, whether directly or indirectly, to aid Russia as it commits these human rights violations. New York is home to the largest population of Ukrainians in the United States – they are our family and an attack on them is an attack on us all. We will make our statements and values known and show solidarity with Ukraine as we rebuke this assault on democracy.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Kyiv “could well be under siege” in what U.S. officials believe is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to install his own regime.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to global leaders for even more severe sanctions than the ones imposed by Western allies and for defense assistance.

Zelenskyy cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, declared martial law and ordered a full military mobilization that would last 90 days. He said that 137 people, including 10 military officers, had been killed, and one of his advisers said about 400 Russian forces had died. Moscow has given no casualty count. Neither claim could be independently verified.

The conflict has shook global financial markets with stocks plunging and oil prices soaring amid concerns that heating bills and food prices would skyrocket. Condemnation came not only from the U.S. and Europe, but from South Korea, Australia and beyond — and many governments readied new sanctions. Even friendly leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban sought to distance themselves from Putin.

President Joe Biden announced new sanctions that will target Russian banks, oligarchs, state-controlled companies and high-tech sectors. He added that the measures were designed not to disrupt global energy markets. Russian oil and natural gas exports are vital energy sources for Europe.

Biden is to meet this morning with fellow leaders of NATO governments in what the White House described as an “extraordinary virtual summit” to discuss Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he aimed to cut off Russia from the U.K.’s financial markets as he announced sanctions, freezing the assets of all large Russian banks and planning to bar Russian companies and the Kremlin from raising money on British markets.

Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and West to go further and cut the Russians from the SWIFT system, a key financial network that connects thousands of banks around the world. The White House has been reluctant to do that, worried it could cause enormous economic problems in Europe and elsewhere in the West.

The U.S. and its NATO partners have shown no indication they would send troops into Ukraine, fearing a larger conflict. NATO reinforced its members in Eastern Europe as a precaution, and Biden said the U.S. was deploying additional forces to Germany to bolster NATO.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the public to remain calm while declaring martial law.

NPR reports The strikes drew quick international condemnation of Russia, from capitals across Europe to Asia. The invasion also shook financial markets around the world; global oil and gold prices soared, U.S. stock futures tumbled and indices across Asia recorded significant losses while European markets opened with a downward reaction.

Zelenskyy said in his morning public address that he had been in touch with U.S. President Joe Biden following the Russian invasion.

Biden called Putin’s actions an “unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine” and warned of “a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

Biden is to make an address to the U.S. public on Thursday after a meeting with G7 leaders.

Congressman Tom Reed, in his weekly media call Wednesday, said the United States needs to send a message of strength firmly, loudly, and directly to Russia.

While Reed criticized Biden for “conflicting statements” in the previous week that he says were not helpful, that needs to be put behind us, “And send a message of ‘You know what President Putin, your actions are going to have severe consequences and those consequences range from sanctions to a partnership with our Allies that could potentially involve military response.’ And hopefully by sending that message, and putting the past behind us, we will tamper this aggressiveness down and peace will again reign in the region.”

NPR reports the U.S., the E.U. and their allies are hitting Russia with sanctions in response to Putin’s decision to recognize two Ukrainian territories as independent republics — and send troops there.
Biden ordered new sanctions Wednesday on the Russian-owned company that is building the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany as well as its officers. The American president vowed more sanctions to punish Russia. Likewise, EU leaders are considering additional sanctions against Russia.

Reed said while the House isn’t in session, there has been dialogue between members of Congress, “About how we can become united on these sanctions and stop the in-fighting that’s causing them not to be successfully navigated through the waters, but as this aggressiveness rises and you see the invasions and you see the physical actions being taken by Putin, I am sensing that the differences [in Congress] are becoming less and less and that a united level of support for sanctions can be achieved here.”

Reed added that if a humanitarian crisis develops as a result of the invasion, that refugees would be welcomed from the Ukraine to America and that the 23rd district would be ready to assist.

Tracy Mitrano

PENN YAN – The candidate who will challenge Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) in the November General Election said his statements from earlier this week regarding the issue of Russia and President Trump falls short.

Democratic challenger Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yan said in a media release that Reed’s statement was using playground language when saying “Russia is not our friend”  along with the term “meddling.”

On Monday afternoon, Reed stent out a statement following the Donald Trump–Vladimir Putin summit in Helsinki, in which Trump appeared to have sided with Russia over U.S. intelligence agencies regarding the investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election and campaign.  The comments from the president drew criticism and condemnation from members of congress from both sides of the political aisle.

However, Reed’s statement avoided any mention of President Trump, but did confirm he believed Russia did meddle in the 2016 election process. But it also called for the end of the Mueller investigation.

Reed’s statement read:

“Russia is not our friend, and I have no doubt they have, and are trying to, meddle in our elections. However, there is no evidence of collusion with any American, and it is time for the Mueller probe to come to a close. By completing the investigation, we will restore faith in our democratic electoral process.”

Mitrano said she was disappointed Reed called for an end to the Mueller investigation “while never once standing up for the outstanding work of our intelligence community and justice department.”

Mitrano also said, “Neither Reed nor the president takes cyberattacks seriously, because neither Reed nor the president understands them. As a cybersecurity expert, I am certain that 21st-century warfare will be cyberwarfare. The hacking of 2016 was just the first skirmish, and I want to make sure that America is well-fortified into the future. Right now, we are terribly vulnerable, and neither Congress nor our executive is doing anything to improve our position.”

Mitrano is an attorney and internet security expert and has worked for various colleges to assist with both online and network security.

She closed her statement by saying, “We have three branches of government so that no one branch will have too much power. Our district must send a person to Congress who will question and push back against dangerous or craven executive speech and actions. Tom Reed is not that person; I will be.”

Clinton addressed a crowd of supporters on Wednesday who gathered in a New York ballroom. She said the loss was “painful and it will be for a long time” and acknowledged that the nation was “more divided than we thought.” However, she also urged supporters to give Trump a chance.

“I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future,” Clinton said. “Donald trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”

Still, Clinton also told her supporters that they need to continue fighting for the goals and supporting the issues that her campaign had focused on during the past year.

“Our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time,” Clinton said. “So lets do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we hold dear – making our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top; protecting our country and protecting our planet; and breaking down all the barriers that hold any American back from achieving their dreams.”

Donald Trump

Trump, meanwhile, was quiet in the aftermath of his victory and made no public appearances on Wednesday. According to staff, the president elect huddled with advisers at Trump Tower in Manhattan, beginning the daunting task of setting up an administration that will take power in just over two months. He also met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence and took calls from supporters, family and friends..

In Washington, Trump’s transition team is now culling through personnel lists for top jobs and working through handover plans for government agencies.

Trump was expected to consider several loyal supporters for top jobs, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for attorney general or national security adviser. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker were also expected to be under consideration for foreign policy posts.

Global stock markets and U.S. stock futures plunged early Wednesday on word of Trump’s election, but later recovered. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 1.4 percent for the day in trading in New York.

World leaders congratulated Trump on his victory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had a contentious relationship with Barack Obama, called the Republican a “true friend of Israel.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the U.S. and United Kingdom would remain “strong and close partners on trade, security and defense.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to reach out to the incoming American leader. Trump praised Putin throughout the campaign and advocated a closer relationship with Russia, despite Moscow’s provocations in Ukraine and elsewhere.

U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking Democratic organizations during the campaign, actions Clinton’s team saw as an indication that Putin was trying to meddle in the election. Trump notably did not accept the conclusions of intelligence officials.

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