WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement on President Trump's meeting with President Zelenskyy and European Allies.
“President Zelenskyy today demonstrated once again that he — not President Putin — is striving for peace. I am encouraged by President Trump's recognition that an agreement will require U.S.-backed security guarantees and continued assistance to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty. I agree with our European allies that a ceasefire must be a precondition for further negotiations and that Putin is the clear obstacle to an immediate and lasting end to this war. The fighting needs to stop. And the American people agree with First Ladies Olena Zelenska and Melania Trump; the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children must be considered within any peace framework.
Ukraine is ready to end the war, but Putin keeps bombing Ukrainian cities, killing more innocent Ukrainians overnight including a young child. Putin continues to delay and distract to stall for time. It is past time for President Trump to finally get tough on Putin and force him to negotiate, not just posture. If Trump can’t hold Putin’s feet to the fire, Congress will act. That means passing the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill to strangle Russia’s war machine and advancing my bipartisan legislation to bolster Ukraine’s defenses and cut off Chinese military support for Russia’s military.
President Trump must sustain the momentum from today’s gathering and bring this war to a lasting peace. What happens in the coming days will be pivotal not just to Ukraine but also to the European continent. An agreement must be formulated to deter future aggression from the Kremlin and Beijing.”
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