CBS "Face the Nation" - Transcript: 2014 Crimean Crisis

Interview

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BOB SCHIEFFER: And we are joined now by the number two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin. He's in Springfield, Illinois, this morning. He is recently back from Ukraine. Senator Durbin, let me just start to get your reaction to Mitt Romney earlier today on this broadcast when he suggested that the United States should have been warning Putin much earlier than we did, that there would be consequences if he moved in to Crimea and suggested that might have had some impact on what-- what Putin did. Do you agree with that?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (Assistant Majority Leader, D-Illinois/Foreign Relations Committee): Well, Governor Romney had two positions as I understood him. First, if we had shown military force somewhere in the world, it might have discouraged Putin. I disagree and so does history. In the midst of the Vietnam War, when the United States was deeply involved in that war, (INDISTINCT) invaded Czechoslovakia. In the midst of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Putin invaded the Republic of Georgia. Let's call it for what it is. Here is Vladimir Putin with a failing Soviet franchise. And when he can't win the hearts and minds of his neighboring nations, he uses energy extortion, masked gunmen and barbed wire. Now, he is a bully. And we've got to call him for what he is. But this notion that some sanction is going to stop a formal colonel in the KGB from his ambitions of Russian empire is naive.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, should we have recognized that early on, though?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: Well, the fact of the matter is unilateral sanctions by the United States are good but not sufficient. What the President has done is first, try to negotiate, try to stop the intrigue and the referendum in Crimea. It didn't work. But the good effort was made by Secretary Kerry, by the President, by Angela Merkel and others. Now the President has announced some sanctions from the United States and he's headed over to meet with our allies. When we have a-- an effort made at sanctions involving many other nations it has a potential of greater impact on Russia and discouraging Putin.

BOB SCHIEFFER: One more question about Governor Romney. He says he can't think of a single country in the world where the United States today is held in as high esteem as it was before President Obama became president. What's your response to that?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: Well, he's certainly suffering. He's-- Governor Romney is suffering from political amnesia. Does he remember the reaction of the rest of the world to our invasion of Iraq? The fact is that many of our stalwart allies of the past thought it was a terrible decision. What President Obama has done is restore a working relationship. Osama Bin Laden is gone. The war in Iraq is over. Afghanistan is coming to a close and this president has worked with many of these nations successfully to put pressure on Iran with sanctions, bringing them to the negotiating table. I'm afraid Governor Romney has forgotten those facts.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, let's talk a little bit about sanctions. The President imposed some sanctions. Do you think they have had any impact at this point?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: Well, they certainly rocked the stock market in Russia for a few days and weeks and they-- they might continue to. If Vladimir Putin is conscious and aware of his standing in the world economy, he has to understand this aggression in Crimea is not helping the reputation of Russia as a modern nation where you can do business. He's back to the old Soviet ways and a lot of folks are going to hold back and pull back as a result of it. I think he may have second thoughts.

BOB SCHIEFFER: The Senate's reaction to all of this was to go on vacation when there was a sanction-- package of economic aid that the administration wanted to send to the Ukraine. Do you think you're going to be able to take that up now that you're back from vacation?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: We'll take that up tomorrow. But for the record, Bob, Majority Leader Harry Reid came to the floor ten days ago and called the bipartisan measure that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, supported by the Democrats, and John McCain and Bob Corker. There was an objection to passing it by a Republican Senator on the floor, that's a fact. And now we're hearing the House of Representatives may not take up this effort to protect Ukraine unless we add a provision that will protect the Koch brothers from any investigation by the Treasury Department for misuse of campaign funds. I hope that's not the case.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, when Governor Romney talks about how the United States is perceived around the world, how do you think that kind of a situation in the Senate is perceived by other countries?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: I think it-- I think it's awful. And Senator McCain and I agree. We need a bipartisan stance by the Senate and by the House as quickly as possible this week in support of Ukraine, in support of sanctions against Russia, in support of a loan to Ukraine so that they can weather this storm as their economy gets back on its feet. Let's not have political intrigue on Capitol Hill undermining our support and our declaration that we stand behind Ukraine.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Do you think there is going to have to be military aid sent to Ukraine? Should there be? We're sending military food now, the-- the meals--

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: (INDISTINCT)

BOB SCHIEFFER: --that we've authorized, but shouldn't it be something more than that or should it be?

SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN: It could be, and I think it should be. John McCain and I sat down along with six other senators with their leadership. They're not asking for American troops nor are we offering them. Kelly was right about that. Senator Ayotte was right about that. But they do need everything from fuel to tires to sleeping bags to meals. This army in Ukraine was devastated by Yanukovych. It is so weak now that there may be six thousand troops ready to go to battle. We've got to strengthen them and help them with advice and back-- backing. And it may come to small arms. I'm not ruling that out. Keep it on the table. For the time being let's help the Ukrainian army get on its feet as a self-defense force.

BOB SCHIEFFER: All right. Well, Senator, thank you so much for being with us this morning. And we'll be back with our panel in one minute.

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