WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday joined CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper to discuss Russian aggression, the need to re-evaluate America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, and protests in Iran.

On the threat of nuclear conflict with Russia, Murphy said: “I think the President is right to raise the risk of nuclear conflict because Vladimir Putin is increasingly getting pushed into a corner…This is a dangerous man, and the United States has to be ready for Putin to use a tactical nuclear weapon. I agree, I don’t think there are any signs that he is going to do that imminently, and it’s important for us to send signs about what the consequences would be should he make that choice.”

On Putin’s ultimate responsibility for the conflict, Murphy said: “This war can end if Vladimir Putin decides to get his troops and personnel out of Ukraine. He made the decision to invade a sovereign neighboring country and the blood today and tomorrow is on his hands…I think as long as we communicate the lines that we are not willing to cross then the danger for escalation lessens. But I don't want to get into a world in which we start blaming ourselves for escalation. This is Putin's war, and it's his decision as to whether it ends.”

On his longstanding calls for the U.S. to make a wholesale re-evaluation of the U.S.–Saudi relationship, Murphy said: “We sell massive amounts of arms to the Saudis. I think we need to rethink those sales. I think we need to lift the exemption that we have given this OPEC+ cartel from US price fixing liability. I think we need to look at our troop presence in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.

Murphy continued: “I mean, listen, for years, we have looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political repression. For one reason – we wanted to know that when the chips were down, when there was a global crisis, that the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia. Well, they didn't. They chose Russia. They chose to back up the Russians, drive up oil prices, which could have the potential to fracture our Ukraine coalition, and there's got to be consequences for that…So I just think it's time to admit that the Saudis are not looking out for us.”

On U.S. support of human rights protesters in Iran, Murphy said: “I think the President's taking the right steps. So the President has sanctioned the vast swath of Iranian leaders who have been leading this repression, he is working to try to make sure that communications are restored. We obviously have a limited ability to operate inside Iran. It’s not as if the United States has a big presence there with which to try to facilitate this unrest. But I think the President has very clearly signaled – and Congress should clearly signal – that we stand on the side of these protesters. This is a unique moment in Iran right now. And we should be doing everything we can to try to make sure that the people can get what they want.”

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