Senator Coons marks fourth anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-spectrum invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022:

"Four years ago, Vladmir Putin launched his brutal, unprovoked, full-spectrum invasion of Ukraine. As the fighting enters its fifth year, Ukrainian soldiers continue to stand bravely on the global front line of freedom in the face of Russian brutality. Against a larger, stronger adversary, Ukraine has held its ground, redefining modern warfare and imposing a great toll on the invaders. Our partners and allies in Europe and around the world have stepped up and taken on much of the burden of funding Ukraine's defense. I visited Odessa last week and saw firsthand the inspiring resolve and dedication of the Ukrainian people to continuing their fight for freedom.

"Russia has failed to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. We cannot now betray Ukraine's trust and hand over a victory to the Russian aggressors at the negotiating table. The Trump administration is making a tragic mistake in bowing to Russian interests instead of putting more pressure on Russia and those who help fund Russia's war machine. Failing to defend freedom in Ukraine will embolden our other adversaries and put American security in danger. Instead, Congress and the administration must provide additional aid, stronger sanctions, and closer cooperation with our allies to show Putin that he cannot outlast us. We need swift, bipartisan action, or we will come to deeply regret this abandonment of Ukraine."

Senator Coons is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He joined a congressional delegation to Odessa last week.