WASHINGTON—Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts released the following statement Tuesday upon reports of a new Russian invasion into sovereign Ukrainian territory: 

“Vladimir Putin has decided to press his advantage, and once again, the world is being forced to deal with the consequences of President Biden’s weakness on the world stage. Putin has watched Biden’s embarrassing fold on the Nord Stream II pipeline. He has seen Biden’s humiliating and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. And he has observed Biden’s steadfast refusal to secure America’s borders.  

 

“What the U.S. does next is of critical importance because this conflict is about far more than Russia and Ukraine. It is about whether America’s adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party, will look at the United States in the coming months and years as a formidable adversary, or a weakening and irresolute superpower. 

 

“How we support Ukraine will send signals about our support for other key partners and allies in the CCP’s crosshairs, none more so than Taiwan. Biden needs to show the CCP that the United States is serious about protecting its own interests.  

 

“The U.S. must follow the lead of former Presidents Trump and Reagan, who understood the importance of peace through strength, and did so in a way that avoided unnecessary foreign entanglements. The U.S. must hit Putin where it hurts. That means immediately sanctioning entities connected to Nord Stream II, rendering aid to contribute to Ukraine’s self-defense, reinforcing efforts to protect NATO territory and supply lines to Ukraine, and intensifying efforts to weaken Russia’s hold on Europe via energy exports. Germany’s announcement today that it will suspend the certification of the pipeline is a welcome show of resolve. Now it’s time for Biden to show some backbone and complement Berlin’s actions through new, devastating sanctions. It’s not too late for the U.S. to once again project strength on the world stage, and send the clearest of signals to Moscow—and to Beijing.”