Two Republican senators want America to take the lead for a coordinated NATO response to Russia's poisoning of an ex-spy, saying the grisly attack will not be the "last one" for the Kremlin.
Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and John McCain of Arizona on Thursday sent a letter to make their case to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who's named to succeed fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, The Hill reported.
"Sadly, this attack will not be the last time that Russia tries to silence those who publicly condemn Putin's regime from Western soil," the senators wrote, the Hill reported.
"That is why the United States should be leading conversations with our NATO allies weighing a coordinated response now, so that we are better prepared to react to Russia's next brazen act against our allies and the rules-based international system."
The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France have issued a joint statement accusing Russia of using a military-grade nerve agent to carry out the March 4 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. Both remain in critical condition, the Hill reported.
The statement described the attack as "an assault on U.K. sovereignty."
The U.K. has also expelled 23 Russian diplomats believed to spies.
In their letter, Sasse and McCain lauded that "strong step" by Britain, as well as sanctions announced by the Trump administration related to Russia's 2016 election meddling.
But they also called for the invocation of Article 4 to speed up NATO's response, the Hill reported.
That article says members can bring any issue of concern, especially related to the security of a member country, to the table for discussion within the North Atlantic Council, the Hill noted.
"Whether it is the consideration of similar Russian expulsions from NATO nations, freezing more Russian assets, or other appropriate measures, we must make it inescapably clear to Russia that its shadow operations will meet a coordinated NATO response," the senators wrote, the Hill reported.
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