In Letter to President Biden, Shaheen & Bipartisan Group of Senators Reaffirm Senate Support for Eastern European Allies Amid Russian Aggression
**Shaheen is Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, which She Helped Re-Establish in 2018**
(Washington, DC) — U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and Chair of the SFRC Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, sent a bipartisan letter today with fellow U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Barrasso (R-WY) – members of the Senate NATO Observer Group – to President Biden urging him to use this week’s diplomatic talks at the NATO-Russia Council meeting to deter Russian dictator Vladimir Putin from further invading Ukraine and make clear that the U.S. will not accept Putin’s demands to dictate NATO’s decision-making.
“We support close engagement with our allies to ensure a coordinated and unambiguous response to Putin’s brinkmanship and ask that the administration and its allies continue to unequivocally rebuke Putin’s military threats and provocations against our allies,” the Senators wrote. “It is imperative the United States demonstrate our resolve and refuse to appease Putin’s unacceptable list of demands.”
Additionally, the Senators voiced bipartisan support for several measures which would provide “increased assistance to Ukraine, push back against Putin’s revisionist agenda, and bolster support for our eastern European allies.”
Read the full text of the letter here.
Senator Shaheen has long led efforts in the Senate to hold Russia accountable for its malign activity against the U.S. and our allies. Because of her role as a negotiator on Russia sanctions legislation known as “CAATSA” and her successful efforts to ban Kaspersky Lab software from operating on U.S. systems, Shaheen was sanctioned by the Kremlin in 2017.
Senator Shaheen is also a member of the Senate Ukraine Caucus. In November, she led a bipartisan delegation to the Halifax International Security Forum, where she helped reaffirm the U.S.’ bipartisan commitment to the transatlantic alliance and European partners, including Ukraine. During the conference, Shaheen participated in a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian officials. In June, Shaheen led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, to underscore the United States’ commitment to Ukraine as it works to achieve its pro-democratic aspirations. Last month, Shaheen helped lead a bipartisan resolution expressing support for an independent and democratic Ukraine—one that is secure against further Russian military aggression. In December, Shaheen authored an op-ed in the Washington Post with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) on the bipartisan commitment in Congress to stand with Ukraine amid Russia’s provocations and aggression, an actionable items that the Biden administration can take to address the current situation.
