Hyde-Smith and others want to know Americans will be safe if Ukraine, Russia dispute grows more dangerous.
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) along with Senator Joni Ernst (R) and others have sent a letter to the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, asking him to protect American citizens that are currently in the Ukraine. They also request answers as to how the State Department plans to do that.
Hyde-Smith also cosponsored the NYET Act to aid Ukraine defense and punish Russian aggression.
“The United States must act from a position of strength to ensure any political, diplomatic, and economic efforts are effective,” Hyde-Smith said. “The perilous situation in Ukraine doesn’t give the State Department a green light to leave our citizens behind. We want assurances that the Biden administration will meet well-established obligations to protect U.S. citizens in foreign countries.”
The Senators want the U.S. government to uphold a Memorandum of Agreement between the State Department and the U.S. Department of Defense, which states: “Ensuring protection of United States nationals in foreign countries is a fundamental obligation of the United States Government. When U.S. citizens are in danger and the host nation is unable or unwilling to protect them, the U.S. Government must be prepared to protect and/or evacuate its citizens.”
“Americans have lived and traveled abroad with an expectation of U.S. government protection for decades and have done so with assurances the United States would come to their aid in the event of civil conflict,” the Senators wrote. “Closure of the U.S. embassy and pointing Americans toward flights or overland evacuations falls far short of this government’s obligations to its citizens – protection from foreign adversaries and assistance in fleeing sites of conflict.”
Senators James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tom Tillis (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) also signed in the letter.
This week, Hyde-Smith also cosponsored the Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act (S.3652), introduced by Senator James Risch (R-Idaho). This legislation would provide the critical support to help Ukraine defend itself and deter Russian aggression. A summary of the NYET Act is available here.
Sarah Ulmer
