CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Sanctions on Russia

Interview

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SCIUTTO: We have California Congressman Adam Schiff joining us now from Washington. He's on the House Select Committee on Intelligence but also involved in many of these foreign affairs issues in which Russia is very much involved. Syria, Iran, and the situation in the Ukraine. Congressman Schiff, from your perspective, what kind of options does the U.S. have particularly in the category of sanctions that would have real teeth, have a real effect?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, there are a range of sanctions. I think we're seeing some of the first in the president intimating that we won't participate in a G8 on Russian soil. We should obviously encourage our allies the same way. Russia and Mr. Putin in particular likes standing on the world stage, likes convening things within Russia, likes to play that role that we saw during the early part of the chemical weapons agreement in Syria. So that's something that could be taken away. His standing in the world can be diminished, is being diminished I think by his own actions.

Going beyond that, there are economic penalties that can be imposed. They can be imposed by precluding some of the more open trade that Russia would like with the United States. We can work with our allies as well on trade sanctions. Beyond that, we could impose economic sanctions, try to target some of the people involved and make their travel difficult or impose costs in terms of their access to assets outside of the country. Those would be pretty provocative steps.

And the challenge, Jim, is we do need to have some kind of working relationship with Russia. And while we can impose these costs and take these steps, we've got to be mindful of the fact that they can impose their own costs on us in these other conflicts that you referenced earlier.

SCIUTTO: You mention a tactic there about imposing sanctions on assets, travel, on individuals involved in the decision making, which sounds like a small-bore measure. But in the past it's had some success. With the case of Sergei Magnitzi, the so-called Magnitzi rule. He was a whistleblower, just to explain to our viewers, in Russia, who was killed in prison and then the U.S., the Senate imposed sanctions, travel, assets, on decision makers there. Seemed to have something of an effect. How would that work? Because Senator Corker, he put out a statement today mentioning the same possibilities. Senator John McCain on our air yesterday bringing up the same possibility. Which leaders, which decision makers, could the U.S. potentially target? Could that go as high as the Russian president?

SCHIFF: Well, it could. That's a very difficult and tough step to take and obviously would poison our relationship pretty substantially. But just the idea that some of the Russian officials may have their travel restricted, some of those that enjoy traveling outside the country that have access to considerable assets they've squirreled away and want to maintain that access, that alone, the idea that they may not have that availability may have a deterrent impact. These folks can exert a lot of pressure within Russia. But again, all these steps and more. We could impose real sanctions, real economic and more broad sanctions. Those are things that I think should be considered as we go forward, determining -- depending on whether Russia, in fact, continues to violate Ukrainian sovereignty, whether they bring troops into other parts of the Ukraine, and how protracted this struggle is.

And we have some templates to look at, in Georgia and elsewhere. We're seeing much of the same play book played out now in Ukraine. The so-called responding to appeals of ethnic Russians outside of the country, that's not only a staple of Russian history but a staple of the history of many authoritarian regimes, always claim that they're being invited in by ethnic minorities that are being harassed or improperly treated. We're looking for interference with Ukrainian communications, also something that we saw in Georgia.

And as Russia escalates, if indeed they do escalate, I think we need to escalate the diplomatic pressure and economic pressure that we can bring to bear.

SCIUTTO: One thing, if I could ask you very quickly before I let you go, the possibility of putting U.S. war ships in or around the Bosporus, which leads into the Black Sea where Crimea is. During the Georgia invasion, U.S. ships were sent to that general area. Is that something that could be considered? Is it too provocative? Or would that be something that could be conceived one of these options the president and his advisers are considering?

SCHIFF: Well, I think we're going to -- I'm sure we are already -- have very detailed discussions with NATO about what our response ought to be. Whether there ought to be a naval response, whether there ought to be a reposition of troops, repositioning of troops within some of the neighboring countries, the NATO members that surround the Ukraine. That's not something that Putin would like to see. And that, in and of itself, a revisiting of missile defense, even discussions that would open up these possibilities, and maybe renewed interest in Ukraine's ultimate membership in NATO. There are a number of things that can be explored. Just the exploring of which will put some pressure on Putin.

But you're right. It has to be calibrated. We don't want to do things that would be so over the top that we would provoke Putin to do more militarily.

But I do think we have to show a strong front. Putin respects strength. And the reality, as much as we want to work with Russia, vis-a-vis Syria, Iran, et cetera, Russia will ultimately do what Putin decides is in Russia's interests. So they're going to want to work with us, much as we want to work with them. And I think that gives us some freedom to show strength here and make sure there's a diplomatic and economic cost to any further provocation.

SCIUTTO: Well, you make a great point there. Four NATO allies right on that Western border of Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, which we have deep obligations to.

Thanks very much to California Congressman Adam Schiff, member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

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