Ukrainian officials are set to meet with Russian negotiators
as fighting continues in many parts of Ukraine,
President Zelensky agreeing to send a delegation to the
meeting on the border of Belarus with no preconditions.
Solanki says the next 24 hours are quote critical
to Ukraine's fate joining us now is Congressman Al Green, the Democrat from Texas.
Congressman Greene really glad to have you on this morning's Wilensky
calling for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.
Can you just talk to us about how likely it is that these negotiations
could result in an end to the attacks?
Well,
first let me thank you for having me on and I
want to let the Ukrainian people know that they're not alone,
that they have some friends in Congress and I am one of them.
I'm very hopeful
and I'm hopeful because I want to see peace.
But I do understand that the Russian delegation does
not have anyone that is a minister plenipotentiary.
Someone with the power to to make some decisions
and to help Mr Putin when they return.
Um the Ukrainian delegation, on the other hand, they sent a responsible person,
Someone associated with their defense.
But I'm still hopeful and I hope that Mr Putin
will understand that he has united the world against him
that when the business community
seeks to encroach and become a part of this,
it makes it very difficult for him to manage his affairs.
I don't want to see his affairs fall into complete chaos.
I'd like to see him withdraw and allow the Ukrainian
people to determine their own destiny as a sovereign nation.
Well speaking from a business or economic effect, we do know, over the weekend,
the U.
S.
And europe agreed to impose more sanctions,
sanctions really targeting um you know, Russia's Central Bank.
Do you expect that these sanctions will actually deter Putin um you know,
for for causing even more damage moving forward,
given the reality that the sanctions really have not
amassed to any significant change in Putin's strategy.
So far,
these sanctions would
impose hardship
and a reasonable and prudent person
would make some adjustments because of these sanctions,
I served on the Financial Services Committee
and I understand what we're doing with these sanctions of
the the currency there in Russia has almost plummeted.
We find that persons are in line to go to the banks that closed Russian society is
starting to understand that this is serious and
that hopefully will impact a reasonable and prudent person
in Mr Putin.
Now, if he's not reasonable and not prudent,
then I don't know that there's anything that we can do in terms of
sanctions that will have the impact that I would like to see us have.
But I'm gonna pray that there's still
some reasonableness left and that that reasonableness
will prevail and that he will withdraw and that he will allow the Ukrainian people
who have decided that they don't want to be a part of Russia,
let them choose their own destiny.
Certainly,
there is hope in the world remains hopeful that that
Vladimir Putin will become or end up being reasonable here.
But in the scenario that he is not right, we know that U. S.
Troops, for example, the interview,
any intervention in Ukraine right now is not a popular solution.
Do you think that President biden is going to continue
to refrain from sending troops there? And I'll just add on this layer what scenario
causes a shift in that potential strategy.
Let me thank President biden for his wisdom.
It's a good thing to have someone who has
some understanding of geopolitical circumstances by virtue of having lived
long enough to see various
scenarios play out.
It was very prudent of him to impose these sanctions in the way that he did,
as opposed to taking a shotgun approach at the genesis of this.
He is moving in a very cautious and judicious way and
I think this is the way we have to move forward.
And I don't think that it would be judicious for me to decide when
and where we would make
the decision to send troops in.
That's something that should be made at a
much higher level than a member of Congress.
My prayer is that we won't get to a point where that's even a consideration,
but I know this President and I'm confident that he understands what
we're doing and we will do things in a very timely affection.
President biden of course is gearing up to
deliver his State of the Union address tomorrow.
As these tensions between Russia and Ukraine
linger and as world leaders decide how to
carefully kind of craft scenarios that hopefully lead
to an end in the situation here.
How does this kind of overall picture this geopolitical tension
play into his address?
And how do you how do you think that he should
handle it again in a formal address to the nation?
Well, he has to address this.
Uh, there is no question that this is going to be a piece of his message.
It has to and I think he should be very transparent.
I have found that before all else fails. Try the truth.
And I think that the president being truthful and transparent.
That's what the american people expect from a president.
So my hope is that he'll explain where we are.
He probably knows things that the public doesn't know and
he'll share those things with the extent that he can.
And I also think that he is going to give us
a sense of hope and a belief that there is a brighter tomorrow that the
State of the Union is sound and that we're moving forward in the right direction.
He's done a lot to help this economy with relief people who were suffering,
didn't have jobs, got relief, schools, got relief,
all of the transportation and even police
departments got help from the biden administration.
So I think he'll talk about that circumstance.
but I also think that he'll have to talk about now his Supreme Court nominee.
Well, speaking of that, I was actually gonna be my next question here.
Obviously we're all hopeful
of the situation in Russia and Ukraine kind of resolved in a more peaceful manner.
But I wanted to get your thoughts on some other topics. Supreme Court Justice,
excuse me, Supreme Court nominee, Just Judge
Tangie Brown Jackson,
the biden administration and president biden himself nominating her.
Can you just talk about
how significant this nomination and potential her seat on the court could be?
Thank you ever so much for allowing me this privilege and I will
accept your faux pas as a prognostication that will come to reality.
Uh Justice Jackson, she is eminently qualified.
She's followed the traditional paradigm.
Harvard
two degrees,
graduated with honors,
served as a assistant to Justice Bryer.
Her mentor
has a stellar record.
Appointed to the D. C. Circuit.
She has followed the traditional paradigm,
But with one exception,
she is a person of color.
She is a black woman,
115 Justices on the Supreme Court.
Not one Black woman
ever to serve on the Supreme Court,
she has followed the traditional paradigm
except she's a black woman,
I will not apologize
for her complexion.
I won't
I refuse to do that.
She should be accepted as we have traditionally accepted persons to this court,
it ought to be bipartisan.
But if it isn't I will still honor her presence on that court.
Well, her presence on that court,
in addition to to being the first black woman to hold that presence would
give us the most woman on a court on the Supreme Court ever.
So it would be a historic moment.
A congressman truly appreciate your insight here and again.
I think we leave with hoping uh remaining
hopeful in the situation between Russia and Ukraine
that it does not continue to escalate. Thank you so much for your time
congressman Al Green democrat
from texas.