WASHINGTON, Feb 16, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - US senators joined together Tuesday
to express a "message of solidarity" to the Ukrainian people and a warning to
Russia's Vladimir Putin, although the chamber failed to agree on drafting
sanctions against Moscow.

   "In this dark hour, we are sending a bipartisan message of solidarity and
resolve to the people of Ukraine, and an equally clear warning to Vladimir
Putin and the Kremlin," 12 senior Democratic and Republican members of the
Senate said in a statement.

   The text, signed by the chamber's party leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch
McConnell, marked a rare point of political unity in a hyper-polarized
Congress.

   But the statement does not carry the weight of law, and comes after
political rivals in the evenly divided Senate failed to reach agreement on a
bipartisan bill to severely sanction Russia should it invade neighbor
Ukraine.

   Late last month key senators on both sides of the aisle were close to
reaching a deal on sanctions. But late Tuesday Republicans essentially balked
by introducing their own sanctions bill -- without Democrats -- for
consideration.

   "It's a shame that Senate Republicans have decided to choose partisan
posturing instead of working to reach consensus on a comprehensive bipartisan
proposal," fumed Democrat Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.

   US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Washington was primed and ready
with "powerful sanctions" on Russia, although those do not specifically
require authorization from Congress.

   But cross-party support from lawmakers in the House and Senate would send
a strong signal to the Democratic president.

   In their joint statement, the senators nevertheless said they were
prepared to "fully support" imposing "strong, robust, and effective sanctions
on Russia."