In response to the crisis in Ukraine, Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., on Wednesday announced bipartisan proposals that would expedite the U.S. Department of Energy’s review of applications to export U.S. natural gas.

“Most of Europe and Ukraine are heavily dependent on Russian gas in particular for their energy use,” Warner told reporters in a conference call. “Over 30 percent of Europe’s gas comes from Russia. They really do have an economic hold over that part of the world that has allowed (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to be more aggressive in his actions,” Warner said.

Warner, who teamed with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., urged President Barack Obama’s administration to move quickly to evaluate more than 20 pending natural gas export applications as a way to counteract Putin’s grip on Europe’s energy market.

“We have already approved six of these permits. This is going to send a major economic signal that Russia’s ability to dominate the energy market in Europe is going to come to an end,” Warner said.

Under current law, companies based in the United States may export to countries which have a free trade agreement with the U.S. Other applications, however, require a case-by-case review by the Energy Department.

Warner and Hoeven, who has just returned from Ukraine, also propose a strategic review of existing energy policies, a joint U.S.-European Union initiative on energy security and additional efforts to promote greater energy productivity in Ukraine, including a $1 billion financial aid package.

“We believe that part of that aid package ought to be geared to help American companies who have great expertise and energy efficiency and increasing energy productivity, because Ukraine has been so dependent on cheap gas and oil from Russia, they have not made the kind of energy efficiency improvements that we have,” Warner said.

Hoeven also called for “tough economic and diplomatic sanctions” to deter Russia.

“We have legislation that is ready to go. Instead of merging from crisis to crisis, this would put a strategy in place,” Hoeven said.

“We have got to get some stability over there (by) sending a very strong message to Putin that we intend to help stabilize our allies and weaken his primary source of revenue. We need to get that going now and over the long term we are going to change this dynamic,” he said.

Defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions, Putin on Tuesday signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia again but said he did not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine.

Vice President Joe Biden called Moscow's action a “land grab” and earlier this week stressed Washington's commitment to defending the security of NATO allies on Russian borders.

Warner said Wednesday that his series of bipartisan proposals will “strengthen America’s response to the illegal and aggressive acts that Mr. Putin has taken in Crimea and potentially elsewhere.”