Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio escalated his rhetoric against Vladimir Putin on Friday, vowing if elected to the White House to “isolate Russia diplomatically” and impose a series of new sanctions on Moscow.

The Florida senator has taken an aggressive tact against Russia while campaigning to become the next US commander-in-chief. Capping off a two-day swing through Iowa, Rubio used a national security forum to detail what foreign policy toward Russia would look like under his administration.

The senator said he would propose new sanctions on Russian officials and entities, including visa bans and asset freezes against senior leadership. He also pledged to work with US allies in Europe to exclude Russia from SWIFT, the international banking system that allows for the exchange of money across countries.

“When I’m president, America will speak clearly about Vladimir Putin. He and his cronies will be the target of US financial pressure,” Rubio said.

The Republican contender’s speech was made against the backdrop of Russian airstrikes in Syria against opponents of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Read the article “Vladimir Putin is ‘a Gangster and Thug’, Says U.S. Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio” on theguardian.com.