HARTFORD, CT — Declaring that Ukraine is turning the tide in its ongoing war against Russia, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, is calling on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a sweeping sanctions bill against Russia as part of a strategy to help the beleaguered Ukrainians.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022..
Blumenthal returned from a six-day trip to Ukraine late Thursday. The sanctions bill, which the Senate passed weeks ago after a direct plea for aid from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is one component of a three priorities Zelenskyy outlined in his visit to Washington. Ukraine also seeks additional air defense munitions and access to Starlink within Russia itself to more accurately target its long-range strikes.
“I was exhilarated and inspired because Ukraine has turned the tide,” he said of the visit, where he met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and visited wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Dnipro near the eastern front of the war. “The costs imposed on Russia are simply unsustainable…and now President Zelensky is asking and urging that we pass the Russia sanctions bill in the House, just as we did in the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.”
Blumenthal said that not only will Ukraine survive with help from the United States and its allies, but he believed the nation could achieve victory over Russia, which he defined as including an “iron-clad and airtight” NATO-type security guarantee to deter future Russian aggression as well as the return of some of the territory Russia has seized, although the senator did not specify how much territory would be acceptable.
Blumenthal also decried the Trump administration’s policies as “inconsistent”, citing an upcoming review by the Pentagon which could lead to significant US troop drawdowns in Europe even as CIA director John Racliffe visited Moscow to warn Russia against attacks on NATO allies or helping Iran.
“The main point here is Putin is unserious about peace because he doubts we are serious about supporting Ukraine,” Blumenthal said. “And he has every reason to think it because the administration has vacillated.”
When asked about reported U.S. shortages of advanced air defense munitions, such as Patriot and THAAD anti-ballistic missile system, Blumenthal said the stockpile is being depleted, but added that U.S. allies and partners such as Germany and Saudi Arabia have munitions they could provide.
He acknowledged the effect the ongoing conflict with Iran is having on supplies to Ukraine, saying it is not only depleting U.S. stockpiles but also discouraging allies and partners from sharing with Ukraine due to fears they would be unable to protect themselves from escalation with Iran.
“We need to end that war. The war in Iran must be brought to an end, not just for the sake of the Middle East, but also Ukraine, so that we can provide everything that Ukraine needs,” he said.