Russian government hits Solano County lawmakers with sanctions over Ukraine support
Reps. John Garamendi and Mike Thompson say they consider their placement on Russia's "permanent stop list" as a "badge of honor."
(File photo by Matthew Keys / Solano NewsNet)
Two federal lawmakers representing Solano County have been sanctioned by the Russian government over their support for the Ukrainian government.
The sanctions were announced in a press release issued by the Russian foreign ministry on Wednesday.
Representative Mike Thompson and Representative John Garamendi were among nearly 400 Congressional lawmakers who were placed on a “stop list,” which prohibits them from traveling to Russia.
In a statement on Thursday, Garamendi said he intended to “wear my sanctions as a badge of honor” after he expressed support for the government and people of Ukraine.
“The Russian Government sanctioned me in an attempt to weaken my support for the Ukrainian people,” Garamendi said. “Looks like they miscalculated. I will not be intimidated by authoritarians and abusers of human rights.”
In a similar message, Thompson also called the sanctions list a “badge of honor” and called Russia’s military action in Ukraine “a blatant assault on democracy.”
“This is a sign of Russia’s weakness,” Thompson said. “They are no match for the strength and resilience of Ukraine, the U.S. and our allies.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Solano NewsNet that the sanctions were a response to lawmakers calling out Russia’s “unprovoked war” with Ukraine.
“We don’t have a comment on Vladimir Putin’s reasoning or thought process,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Russian president.
The Russian government said the sanctions were “permanent” and a “mirror” to those imposed by the United States after Russian forces invaded sovereign areas of Ukraine last month.
“All members of the U.S. Congress have been blacklisted on the basis of reciprocity,” a spokesperson for the Kremlin in Moscow said.
In March, Garamendi was one of several federal lawmakers to call for an embargo of oil imports from Russia. The White House announced an embargo against Russian oil imports three days after Garamendi suggested the idea during an interview with a San Francisco television station.
Two weeks later, U.S. officials announced broad, sweeping sanctions against Putin and hundreds of Russian lawmakers.
“Our sanctions on Russia are unprecedented,” a White House spokesperson said. “In no other circumstance have we moved so swiftly and in such a coordinated fashion to impose devastating costs on any other country.”
The sanctions — mostly financial in nature — impacted the ruble, Russia’s currency, and caused the country’s main stock exchange to close for several weeks, White House officials claimed.
“The economy is forecast to contract as much as 15 percent or more in 2022,” a White House spokesperson asserted, adding that it would “wipe out the past 15 years of economic gains in Russia.”
This week, Putin acknowledged sanctions by the United States and other western countries had shaken Russia’s oil and energy industry by blocking much-needed financial capital and technology, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Sanctions imposed by Russia this week against American lawmakers are not expected to have an impact on the domestic economy of the United States, financial analysts say.
Connect with Solano NewsNet on Twitter and Facebook for breaking news updates.
We’re proud to produce independent news for Solano County. This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or signing up for a paid subscription.