US House Speaker urges Congress to sanction Russia

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Thursday the US Congress to move quickly to have sanctions in place to impose on Russia in light of the Western allegations about Russian plans to invade Ukraine.

"I think it is important for us to use the sanctions if the Russians strike," Pelosi told a Capitol Hill press conference.

"We want to move quickly on these," she added.

Pelosi stressed that the House should be as close to the Senate bill as possible so there is no delay in getting the legislation to the president's desk, claiming that Russia has to feel "pain".

Earlier on Thursday, Senator Jeanne Shaheen pointed out that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was close to an agreement on legislation that would impose preemptive sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

The situation around Ukraine has worsened over the past several months after the US and its allies accused Russia of preparing to invade its neighbor.

Russia has repeatedly denied having plans to attack any country but said it reserves the right to move troops inside its sovereign territory as it sees fit.

Moscow has also warned that NATO's plans to expand further eastward, including in Ukraine, represent a threat to its national security.

Read more: US not to call Russia invasion of Ukraine 'imminent'