TULSA, Okla. — All eyes are on Russia as it prepares to potentially attack Ukraine.
Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, weighed in on the conflict during a stop in Tulsa on Friday.
He called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "liar" for recently implying his country wasn't going to attack Ukraine in the coming days.
Sen. Inhofe said he asked intelligence groups about the situation.
“I said, 'Are you anticipating an attack that is Russia against Ukraine? And, if so, what are the chances that’s going to happen?'" Sen. Inhofe said. "The response was ‘100 percent.’”
And if that happens, Sen. Inhofe says -
“We’ve never had a Russian since the Cold War that is that much of a threat," Sen. Inhofe said.
The news is worrisome for Taras Tikhomirov.
He’s originally from Russia and moved to the United States in 1992. He now owns a small business in Tulsa. He still has family in both Russia and Ukraine.
“I think everybody is scared," he said. "Everybody understands that if something happens and the war breaks out, it’s going to be bad for everybody.”
He’s especially concerned for his mother, who still lives in Russia. He said it was already difficult enough to visit during the pandemic, but if war breaks out, it would be even tougher to get to her.
He worries about what war could mean for people in both countries.
“I hope they come to their senses," Tikhomirov said. "I hope they understand that human life is much more valuable than money, than politics, than egos.”
When asked about Russia’s intentions in potentially attacking Ukraine, Sen. Inhofe said he doesn’t know why they might do it. He also said, as of right now, he doesn't think there’s a need to put U.S. troops in Ukraine.
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