Lakewood Politician Calls For 'Harshest Possible Sanctions' On Russia

LAKEWOOD, OH — State Sen. Nickie Antonio sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week, urging Biden to impose the "harshest possible sanctions" on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Antonio, a Democrat from Lakewood, sent her letter on behalf of the Ukrainian communities in Parma and Cleveland. She noted that nearly 46,000 Ohioans have Ukrainian ancestry and more than 4,000 Parma residents and 2,000 residents in Cleveland trace their ancestry to Ukraine.

“The ongoing crisis and violence inflicted on the people of Ukraine is the result of a total disregard for international norms by Vladimir Putin,” Antonio said. “This dangerous act of aggression must be met with all available peaceful options that we possess, including freezing Russian assets in the United States, severing economic contracts, and cutting off their ability to complete in the global market.”

Russian troops closed in on Ukraine’s capital Saturday after a night of explosions and street fighting sent Kyiv residents seeking shelter or fleeing the city. The country's leader claimed Ukraine's forces had repulsed the assault and vowed to keep up the struggle.

“The real fighting for Kyiv is ongoing,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message, accusing Russia in a video message of hitting infrastructure and civilian targets.

Here's Antonio's full letter to Biden:

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this article.