The authorization—which would only apply if Russia uses biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons—comes as anti-war voices worldwide call for diplomacy to find a path toward peace.

Amid global calls for focused diplomacy to end the Russian war on Ukraine, U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Sunday introduced a measure that would give congressional authorization for President Joe Biden to intervene militarily if Russia uses biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons.

The outgoing Republican congressman from Illinois announced the Authorization for Use of Military Force to Defend America’s Allies Resolution of 2022 on CBS‘s “Face the Nation,” more than two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the long-anticipated invasion.

“I don’t think we need to be using force in Ukraine right now. I just introduced an AUMF, an authorization for the use of military force, giving the president basically congressional leverage or permission to use it if WMDs, nuclear, biological, or chemical are used in Ukraine,” he said on the show, using the abbreviation for weapons of mass destruction.

Kinzinger added in a statement that “Putin must be stopped” and Biden, “the commander in chief to the world’s greatest military, should have the authority and means to take the necessary actions to do so.”

The Biden administration has significantly stepped up security aid to Ukraine since February but stopped short of taking any military action, even denying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for a no-fly zone. While sending arms to Ukraine has been met with mixed responses—some anti-war voices warn it just escalates the conflict—peace advocates and foreign policy experts have praised the U.S. president for not getting involved militarily.

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  intervention, kinzinger, legislation, Russia, Ukraine, united states, war