Senate Republicans ask Trump to arm Ukrainians, maintain Russia sanctions | Washington Examiner: President Trump faces additional pressure not to reset relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a growing number of Senate Republicans are asking him not to lift sanctions on Putin's government.
"We write to ask you to pursue a results-oriented, but tough-minded and principled policy toward the Russian Federation," Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner and six other Republican senators wrote in a Thursday letter to the White House. "[W]hile we should seek common ground with Russia in the areas of mutual interest, we must never pursue cooperation with Russia at the expense of our fundamental interests of defending our allies and promoting our values."
That letter asks Trump to maintain the sanctions imposed on Russia over the annexation of Crimea and attack on eastern Ukraine. "Furthermore, we ask you to expedite the provision of defensive lethal weapons to Ukraine, and we were encouraged that Secretary of State Tillerson supported this position during his confirmation hearing," they wrote.
