John Thune on Russia

Senator John Thune has consistently articulated a hardline stance against Russian aggression, particularly in relation to Ukraine, emphasizing that the only effective response to Russian actions is strength. Following Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine, he stated that the United States and NATO must stand united against hostilities and implement severe economic sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector to counter their efforts to exploit Western energy security. He criticized the pace of the executive branch's response, arguing that opportunities to preemptively impose costs, such as cutting off a major pipeline, were previously missed by the administration.

He has been a proponent of legislative action to impose costs on the Kremlin, pushing for measures like the bipartisan Never Yielding Europe's Territory (NYET) Act to provide necessary support to Ukraine. As Senate Majority Leader, Thune signaled a firm intention to move forward with a long-stalled, overwhelmingly bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, setting an expected timeline of within 30 days to bring it to the floor for a vote. His support for moving the legislation forward, despite prior deference to the executive branch, suggests a current posture prioritizing congressional action to increase pressure on Moscow.