Shaheen Statement on the Expulsion of Kremlin Officials for Poison Attack in Britain

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s expulsion of Kremlin officials and its decision to close a consulate in Seattle because of the Russian government’s poison attack on two individuals in the United Kingdom:

“I applaud the actions taken today by the Trump administration to expel Kremlin officials and shutter the Russian compound in Seattle,” said Shaheen. “This sends a clear message to Putin and the world that the United States will continue to stand with our great ally, the United Kingdom, and will deliver retribution for the Kremlin’s hybrid attacks on Western nations. I’m very encouraged to see similar retaliatory measures from other allies. The transatlantic community remains a partnership rooted in the rule of law with a steadfast commitment to the rights of others.”

Senator Shaheen is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and is the only woman serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Shaheen is also the co-chair of the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, which she re-established with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) last month.

Senator Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to hold Russia accountable for its interference in the 2016 US elections and for its continued aggression against Western democracies. Shaheen has been an outspoken critic of President Putin’s authoritarian regime and was the first in Congress to call for hearings on Russian interference in September 2016. She was a key negotiator on the initial version of the Russian sanctions legislation that passed the Senate in June 2017, and was recently blacklisted by the Russian government, in part, because of her strong support for Russian sanctions.