A Ukrainian serviceman stands at his position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Svitlodarsk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the U.S. was ordering heavy financial sanctions against Russia, declaring that Moscow had flagrantly violated international law in what he called the "beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine." (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
SALT LAKE CITY — Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed war Wednesday night on his neighbor, Ukraine.
Utah’s congressional delegation responded on Twitter, but Congressmen John Curtis, Chris Stewart, and Blake Moore shared their reactions with KSL NewsRadio’s Dave & Dujanovic.
Dave Noriega read Putin’s threat from Moscow early Thursday to the West:
“To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside – if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history.”
“What do you make of that, Representative Curtis?”
“I don’t think it’s veiled,” Curtis replied, saying he was in Belgium meeting with European Union leaders who he said are “very, very concerned.”
Curtis predicts Russian cyberattacks for Europe and the United States or “anybody who stands up for Ukrainians.”
“Are you saying we should be involved in the conflict militarily?” Dujanovic asked.
“Clearly, the sentiment here is if one U.S. soldier went into combat, we would enter third world warfare, so nobody is suggesting that,” said Curtis.
He said European lawmakers have a two-part message for the United States:
“Can the Russian people do anything about this or do they support [Putin]?” Noriega asked.
“Right now they support him,” Stewart said. “What’s going to break away their support… is if you have week after week of Russians being killed. They should have learned that lesson in Afghanistan.”
“If Putin weren’t in power, would Russia still be doing this, or are these the actions of one crazy man?” Noriega asked.
“Well, I don’t want to say crazy because that indicates he’s doesn’t have his mental faculties and he’s irrational. And I’m not sure that that’s true,” Stewart said.
Stewart said a nuclear exchange with the West is unlikely as is Putin moving Russian forces past Ukraine and into Poland or other nations but, like Curtis, he said cyberattacks could be coming to the US in retaliation for sanctions against Russia.
“We know he has a fearsome ability regarding cyberattacks in the United States. He’s reminded us of that from time to time.”
“Hill Air Force Base is in your district, Representative Moore. There’s already is a contingent of the 388 and the 419 Fighter Wings in Germany. Can you brief us up on any new information that might impact those families and our military servicemen and women here in Utah?” Dujanovic asked.
“Yeah, and I’m just getting information. It’s all — everything’s coming in so quickly. We’ve got F-35s [combat aircraft] moving to Estonia as well,” Moore said. “Strengthening our allied forces, strengthening NATO is still key. I don’t anticipate and I haven’t seen anything that would make it so we anticipate Russia to move beyond Ukraine.”
1/2 Putin’s military ambition is further emboldened by Russia’s stronghold on the European oil and gas market.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 24, 2022
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Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.