Rob Portman: “That is correct. And if there is an invasion, it would be the first time since 1945 that we have seen this kind of…”

“That is correct. And if there is an invasion, it would be the first time since 1945 that we have seen this kind of malign behavior--not just an invasion but even the proof we have seen of the so-called hybrid attacks, the cyber attacks, the disinformation attacks, which is why so many in Europe are alarmed, particularly in the Baltics and Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, Romania. Countries that are right on the border, they realize that this is not going to end in Ukraine if this is what happens. It will send a message that we no longer have this post-World War II security system in place in Europe that has kept the peace. So my hope is that we will continue to see not just unity here on the floor of the Senate and in the House and in the White House to stand up for Ukraine but among our allies because all of us are engaged in this. And I must say I think what Russia and Vladimir Putin have done quite well in the last several weeks is unify the transatlantic alliance in ways I have rarely seen it. So NATO is stronger than ever because the Secretary General of NATO talked about this. He sounds exactly like we do, meaning that this shall not stand and cannot happen. So I think this is going to bring us together. But deterrence is what we are all about--a peaceful resolution, a backing off, and the ability to allow a free and independent people of Ukraine to have their sovereignty and territorial integrity respected.…”