Following President Obama’s decision to cancel his summit with Putin in September, U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a statement outlining their position on relations between the US and Russia. Among other policy positions, McCain and Graham raised the issue of politically motivated convictions of Russian dissidents such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

“We obviously agree with President Obama’s decision to cancel his planned meeting with President Putin in Moscow in the wake of the Russian government granting asylum to Edward Snowden,” they stated, advocating what they termed “a more realistic approach.”

The senators called for an expansion of the Magnitsky Act list to hold Russian human rights violators accountable. “We should challenge the political convictions and detentions of Russian dissidents such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Alexei Navalny,” they added.

“And perhaps most importantly, we should speak out on behalf of the many people in Russia who increasingly are finding the courage to peacefully demand greater freedom, accountability, and rule of law in Russia.”