A ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee is set to introduce a bill aimed at forcing the Trump administration to craft a comprehensive policy to deter Russian aggression, The Hill reports.
“Today, we are witnessing some of the most fundamental threats to our democratic values and to the cohesion of our alliances since the beginning of the post-World War II era. President Putin’s campaign to erode our institutions poses a genuine threat to our system of government and our way of life,” Representative Adam Smith said in a statement.
“President Trump has only exacerbated this problem, belittling our allies and partners, embracing dictatorships and calling into question our collective security commitments. In this situation, Congress has a responsibility to do its utmost to push back against these dark trends”, he added.
The legislation is the latest in lawmakers attempts to handle Russia’s influence in the U.S. Moreover, efforts have been made in the Senate to attach Russia sanctions to an Iran sanctions bill.
Smith’s bill, which he said he hopes will be folded into the upcoming annual defense policy bill, would require the Pentagon to develop and implement a comprehensive Russia strategy.
“It is time for us to recognize that this challenge must become one of the central concerns of U.S. national security strategy, and that if we do not stand up to this menace, we stand to lose much of what we have sacrificed to build and preserve during the life of our country. This threat merits a comprehensive response that will deter Russian aggression, strengthen allied and partner defenses and boost our cohesion while including measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war and avoiding a reckless plunge into a new nuclear arms race”, Smith said.
Furthermore, the bill would require the Pentagon to craft a plan to reduce the risk of nuclear war in the face of Russia’s “escalate to de-escalate” doctrine. It would also require a strategy to increase conventional precision-strike weapons stockpiles in Europe.
The bill would also require a plan to counter Russian military modernization and capabilities, such as drones, electronic warfare and long-range precision strike capabilities, and would further require a plan to train allied forces to counter Russian cyber and information operations.
“This bill represents a forceful and responsible counter to Russia’s provocations. It is an attempt to lay the foundations for a new security effort to combat the spread of Putinism and increase the resilience of democratic societies”, Smith concluded.
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