Bipartisan Codel Statement After Meeting With Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

Bipartisan Codel Statement After Meeting With Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

ANKARA, TÜRKIYE - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mike Rounds (R-SD), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), and U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-OH) issued the following statement after their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the 2026 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit:

"Meeting with President Zelenskyy was a powerful reminder of what is at stake as Ukraine continues to defend its people, its sovereignty, and the principles that underpin transatlantic security.

"It is abundantly clear that Russia is not winning this war. 35,000 Russian soldiers are being killed or wounded each month for no territorial gain, the Russian economy is showing huge economic strain, and successful Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory underscore both Russia's weakness and Ukraine's aptitude on the battlefield.

"Putin is at his weakest position in years and real sustained pressure can finally bring this war to a close. It is critical that the United States follows through on the commitments President Trump agreed to as part of the G7 Leaders Summit communique last month, including providing additional security assistance to Ukraine-particularly air defense interceptors-and tightening sanctions on Russia's war machine.

"We couldn't agree more with President Zelenskyy: Putin is not acting in good faith. In our meetings with Allied officials this week, there is widespread agreement that Putin is negotiating for time, not negotiating for peace, while Ukraine has consistently demonstrated a willingness to advance President Trump's efforts to bring an end to this brutal war. On a bipartisan and bicameral basis, Congress is prepared to help President Trump apply the necessary pressure on Putin to get him to the negotiating table and end the killing once and for all."

Photos of the meeting can be found here.

Durbin is part of a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye. The purpose of the summit is to discuss congressional support for the transatlantic relationship as President Trump continues to weaken our foreign relationships abroad, the war in Iran, as well as continued Russian aggression and interference in western democracies. Following the NATO summit, Durbin will travel to Budapest, Hungary to discuss bilateral opportunities and mutual defense challenges in the region.

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