JUST IN: Ted Cruz Confronts Top Biden Official Over Nord Stream 2 Decision

At today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questioned Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

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Here Chris thank you Mr chairman welcome to each of the witnesses Ms Newland as you know in January of last year the Senate voted on my legislation to impose sanctions on the Nordstrom 2 pipeline and it did so before Russia had invaded Ukraine when the Senate voted on those sanctions president zielinski publicly

Urged even begged the United States Senate to pass those sanctions and president zielinski said passing those sanctions then were the last chance to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine the last chance to prevent Russian tanks rolling in to Ukraine was President zielinski wrong Senator Cruz like you I am and I think

The administration is very gratified to know that Nordstrom 2 is now as you like to say a hunk of metal at the bottom of the sea I personally having been involved along with my boss secretary blinken and all of those negotiations with Russia to try to prevent this war

In December do not believe that had that nordstream tube been cut off in January that would have been decisive for Putin it was important that the day the War Began the Germans cut the pipeline as did the rest of the Europeans but he was bound and determined to go into Ukraine

As you know so you believe zielinski was wrong when he said stopping Nordstrom 2 was was the last and best way to stop this War I don’t think it would have stopped Putin and you know and when the government when the government of Poland similarly said begged the United States Senate to pass

Those sanctions and said this is the last and best opportunity to stop Russia from invading Ukraine you believe Poland was wrong too I do not believe we would have prevented this war had the Europeans acted faster on Nordstrom too I wish it were the case but I don’t

Think it would have stopped okay well let’s talk about how the war is going and I know that you and I both agree that it is important for Russia to suffer a crushing defeat Putin is a KGB Thug and he’s committed to undermining our interests and our enemies across the globe including

In particular China are watching carefully what happens in Ukraine the Iranian regime is watching as well and Iran is committed to doing everything they can to ensure Putin’s victory they’re supplying Putin with resources especially drones which are devastating Ukrainian civilians and Military assets meanwhile the Biden Administration which waived the sanctions on Nordstrom

Too the last and best hope of preventing the war right now today continues to be obsessed with a new nuclear deal with Iran Iranian officials say talks remain ongoing while Administration officials say they remain committed to diplomacy but not right now I’m deeply concerned that this Administration even in the

Middle of a war is subordinating the need to counter the Russian Iranian Alliance to its own partisan political preferences for example this Administration has dropped the general U.N arms embargo against Iran this Administration has made Russia our intermediary in nuclear talks with Iran this Administration has issued sanctions

Waivers allowing the Ayatollah to become Putin’s nuclear client this Administration has withheld weapons for Ukraine to Target Iranian operatives in Crimea helping Russia launch drones and this Administration is avoided using relevant sanctions Authority against Iranian Banks facilitating the transfer of drones to Iran as a result Iran has been able to dramatically boost

Putin’s war in Ukraine meanwhile America the American taxpayer are shouldering the burden of assisting Ukraine while the Biden Administration is greasing both sides of this war let’s talk about Iran’s supply of drones to Russia the Biden Administration made an immediate decision to go to the United Nations and drop the general U.N

Arms embargo on Iran because they say it was required by the original jcpoa nuclear deal Biden officials say part of the Embargo dealing with drones is still in place but even that measure will expire this fall pursuant to the jcppa I believe the Biden Administration should immediately go to the U.N invoke

Our Snapback Authority and keep the Embargo in place do you agree or do you believe we should allow the U.N arms embargo on Iran to expire and allow Iranian drones to continue to go to Russia and be be used against the people of Ukraine time of the center is

Expire but please answer this question thank you Senator Cruz you are absolutely right that Iranian drones are fueling this war and that is why we have taken uh many many increased sanctions measures against Iran over the last couple of months including against the irgc guard Corps Aerospace Force the

Kudz force aviation industry the Shaheed aviation industry Russian Aerospace forces they have you stopped the drones we have not stopped the drones and this is part of the problem but we know what Iran looks like and we also know who Russia’s friends are Iran North Korea

And Hamas as you know we are not currently in active discussions with Iran um you know it is not prepared to to take these negotiations seriously right now and we have many of the same concerns that you have but I look forward to speaking with you in a separate setting about our larger

Strategy visa for Iran I think this is probably not the appropriate setting for that thank you Senator Coons thank you chairman Menendez and thank you all three of you for your service and for your work to continue to help lead the efforts of our Administration and