Senator Blumenthal urges House to pass Russia sanctions bill

He made the remarks in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, according to Ukrinform.

"It is a moment of extreme urgency, for the reason that Putin may try to escalate, but also because Putin is on his heels economically," Blumenthal said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

Blumenthal noted that Putin's economy is on the verge of a major crisis, with "a deficit looming of $125 billion, 5% of his GDP, an interest rate of 14% on his national debt."

He expressed hope that the bill would receive sufficient support from House Democrats, as the chamber returns to work this week after a more than month-long recess.

The U.S. Senate on August 7 approved a bill introduced by Lindsey Graham to tighten sanctions against Russia and Iran. The legislation would, among other measures, allow the U.S. president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from five countries that are the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.