WASHINGTON — In a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL03) urged the military and diplomatic leaders to respond more assertively to Russia’s threats to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea.

“You don’t deal with a thug like Vladimir Putin by asking nicely,” Rogers said. “He breaks treaties, he invades countries and then stations his nuclear forces on their soil, and he cozies up to terrorist regimes like Assad’s, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and the mullahs in Tehran.”

After being reappointed chairman of the Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee late last year, Rogers said he planned to use his leadership role to “keep pressure” on Putin. Thursday’s statement indicates that will indeed be his approach.

But Rogers also expressed frustration with the Obama administration’s unwillingness to work with his committee to push back on Putin’s aggressive moves in Ukraine.

“I have said repeatedly that I will work with the Administration if they show me they are taking these matters seriously,” he said. “For months I’ve been asking the Administration how they will prevent Putin from stationing his nuclear forces on Ukrainian soil in Crimea. The Administration has no plan; the security of our allies cannot afford a continued delay.”

With Thursday’s letter, Rogers is seeking answers on how the Obama Administration plans to defend the U.S. and its allies against an increasingly bold Putin regime.

“The US must immediately take action to respond to Russia’s threats to European security and to change President Putin’s calculus,” he said.

Rogers requested a “detailed and written” response by February 1st.

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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015