- The Washington Times - Monday, July 21, 2014

Rep. Ed Royce, California Republican and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday that the United States must lead not only an international diplomatic coalition against Russia and Vladimir Putin, but an economic one as well that will truly force Mr. Putin’s hand.

The United Nations Security Council was poised to vote as soon as Monday on a resolution calling for international access to the site of the crash of Malaysia Airlines Fight MH17 in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists have both blamed one another for the downing of the plane. U.S. officials have said evidence points to Russia supplying the separatists with the kind of weaponry that brought down the jetliner last week, killing all 298 people on board.

“Already, Russia is trying to water this down, but the international community is going to take a stand here on this resolution and afterwards, they should look at international sanctions,” Mr. Royce told CNN’s “New Day.” “We need the international will to come together here.”

Europe and Asia must stand with the United States, he continued, “and we have to go forward with the type of leverage that only Putin will understand and respond to. Until we do that, he will continue to create this chaos.”

• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.

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