Shaheen Speaks with Punchbowl News on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Implications for Europe and Global Security

 **Shaheen is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group and a member of the Senate Ukraine Caucus**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke with Punchbowl News’ John Bresnahan about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States’ response and the implications in Europe and around the world in response to Putin’s premeditated war.

Shaheen said, in part, “When there is a dictator like Vladimir Putin, who has no regard for the sovereignty of individual countries, who has no regard for human rights, who has no regard for freedoms that we enjoy in the West and in democracies, then it’s important to be able to defend against that kind of authoritarianism and that kind of dictator. That’s exactly what the NATO alliance is about. And I think that’s why Americans support it.”

Watch Shaheen’s interview in full here.

Shaheen recently returned from a congressional delegation visit to Poland to discuss the critical role that frontline NATO allies, including Poland, play in support of Ukraine and to safeguard European security from Russia. Shaheen was previously in Germany as a participant in the Munich Security Conference.

Earlier this month, Shaheen led a successful bipartisan effort with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to pass a resolution that conveys a renewed and overwhelmingly bipartisan message from the U.S. Senate in fierce support of the United States’ Ukrainian partners. 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. A member of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, Shaheen recently co-led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine with Ukraine Caucus co-chair Senator Rob Portman to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself. Shaheen previously led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, last June. Earlier today, Shaheen issued a joint bipartisan statement with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) marking the fourth anniversary of the Senate NATO Observer Group, which they re-established together and currently serve as co-chairs.