WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine:
“On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin believed that Russia would take Kyiv in three days. Even Western intelligence feared Ukraine could hold out for only a matter of weeks. Four years on, Kyiv stands. Ukrainians have demonstrated their grit on the battlefield and dedication to freedom. They have held fast against what was once one of the world’s most feared armies.
“Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his war aims and is in a significantly weaker position than when he began this war. Now is not the time to grant him a reprieve. He should not be allowed to gain through negotiations what he has not managed to achieve in four years of bloodshed. The United States must redouble its efforts to strangle Russia’s wartime economy and crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers. Our European allies must ensure that Ukraine has the funds needed to maximize their defense production and import select Western systems. Ukrainians have not given up on each other, and we cannot give up on them. They are exactly the type of allies Americans want by our side—principled, resolute, and invested in our shared freedom and prosperity.”
Today, Durbin introduced a resolution with U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-NC) that acknowledged the anniversary, reaffirmed support for the people of Ukraine, and emphasized the importance of robust U.S. security that guarantees a transatlantic commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Last year, Durbin introduced legislation to prohibit the United States from recognizing the Russian Federation’s claim of sovereignty over Crimea or any other forcibly seized Ukrainian territory, including any related airspace or territorial waters.
Durbin also introduced the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. The bill allows Ukrainians to stay and work in the U.S. until the Secretary of State determines that hostilities in Ukraine have ceased and it is safe for them to return.
Durbin has also joined Shaheen, Tillis, Wicker, and others in leading a simple resolution that expresses continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condolences for the loss of thousands of lives to Russian aggression; rejects Russia’s attempts to militarily seize sovereign Ukrainian territory; reaffirms U.S. support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; and states unequivocally that Ukraine must be at the table for negotiations on its future.