Shaheen Statement Ahead of One-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Further Invasion of Ukraine
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine:
“One year ago, most world leaders could not have accurately predicted the Ukraine we see today. Ukrainian resistance has defied every expectation, and its citizens continue to heroically defend their land, people and sovereignty against Vladimir Putin’s tyranny. They have shown immense bravery in the face of horrific violence. Families have been torn apart or completely wiped out; cities have been razed; civilian infrastructure is routinely attacked; and rape and torture are weapons of war for Putin and his thugs. Today, the focus is to defeat Putin in Ukraine, but make no mistake, he will not get away with his crimes. The international community must hold him responsible,” said Shaheen, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation. “The overwhelming majority of Congress – both Democrats and Republicans – continues to be in lockstep on the need to provide assistance to Ukraine because we know what happens if Ukraine falls. Putin will not stop in Ukraine and the future of democracies throughout the region will hang in the balance. As we mark this one-year anniversary of Putin’s further invasion of Ukraine, we’re seeing Putin meddling in Moldova – this is the same playbook he’s used time and again. I applaud President Sandu for publicly calling out his malign activity and standing strong in defense of her country and democratic principles to make clear to Putin that his power grab will not be allowed to reach another nation. His actions reaffirm why he must be stopped in Ukraine today.
Shaheen concluded, “Putin made a grave foreign policy blunder when he further invaded Ukraine. And now he is paying the price. NATO is the strongest it has ever been, and with the accession of Sweden and Finland, it will only grow stronger. Bipartisanship in Congress and continued coordination with our allies is essential as we move forward to support Ukraine because this is about more than Putin – this is about sending a message to any dictator who threatens democracies that they will pay a devastating cost. We are facing a threat to our world order that we have not experienced since World War II when the U.S. and its allies stood together against tyranny and defeated the Nazis. As we move forward, we must respond with the same ferocity to stop Putin.”
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