World reacts to Russia aggression, Top House Republicans, 'blood spilled ... on Putin's hands'

Top House Republicans late Wednesday, as Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine, put the blame squarely on Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying, "every drop of Ukrainian and Russian blood spilled" is on his hands. 

"The last few hours have laid bare for the world to witness the true evil that is Vladimir Putin," Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committees; Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, and Ohio Rep. Mike Turner, the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement.

"Every drop of Ukrainian and Russian blood spilled in this conflict is on Putin’s hands, and his alone," the statement also reads. "In response, we are committed to enacting the strongest possible sanctions and export controls to cripple Russia’s ability to make war, punish its barbarity and relegate the Putin regime to the status of an international pariah."

They also argued the U.S. didn't respond forcefully enough during similar aggression by Russia.

"We cannot respond like we did in 2008 or 2014," they wrote. "The world must never forget or forgive this heinous act."

The United States has already imposed sanctions on Russia including ones going after Putin's inner circle and others that halt the ability of multiple Russian banks to trade on the country's sovereign debt and that attempt to throttle the company developing the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline that goes from Russia to Germany. 

None of those measures, however, deterred Putin from sending thousands of troops into Ukraine in tanks and with orders to strike. 

Some House Republicans argue President Biden could have prevented the much expected invasion.

In an earlier statement, McCaul and Rogers said Biden "consistently chose appeasement and his tough talk on Russia was never followed by strong action."