LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Senator Bill Cassidy is speaking out against the Biden administration, over the president’s handling of the situation in Ukraine.

Cassidy, a Republican, says the Biden administration is doing a reasonably good job in the short-term with the dealing with this international crisis, but in the long run the solution is putting the squeeze on the Russian economy through the oil and gas industry.

“Ukraine is the Russian appetite for more and more territory. They’ve had this appetite for three centuries,” said Cassidy.

As the world awaits Russia’s next move, the U.S. is holding firm on imposing economic sanctions, should Russia invade Ukraine. Cassidy says sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t work, but there’s one way to hold down the Russian economy: oil and gas.

“We have to have a concerted push back never give up strategy. A lot of that involves oil and gas. They float their army by selling natural gas. We can eat into their economy by maximizing production here in the United States, and ship it to the places that otherwise would use Russian natural gas,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy says the way the Biden administration is shaping domestic energy policy, which hurts the oil and gas industry, plays right into Russia’s hands.

“It’s as if Vladimir Putin is writing this administration’s energy policy. This administration couldn’t be hurting oil and gas any more than they are. That hurts us and helps Putin.”