PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who has pushed for new sanctions on members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle over the past year, issued the following statement today:

“These sanctions impose real penalties on some of Vladimir Putin’s closest friends and family members. There’s no question that this is a high price for Putin to pay for his aggressive behavior. Now, President Trump needs to work with Congress to prepare a comprehensive strategy that contains Putin and Russia’s aggression permanently. We need to make absolutely clear that any further attempts to hurt American interests will be met with swift retribution.”