Whitehouse Departs Munich Security Conference After Meeting with American Allies

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has left the Munich Security Conference after two days of meetings with America's key transatlantic allies. The delegation, called CODEL McCain in honor of the late Senator John McCain of Arizona, who led the American congressional delegation to the conference along with Whitehouse and the late Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, was co-led this year by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Whitehouse and Graham led the delegation in bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian dissident Yulia Navalnaya, among others.

"My friend Senator McCain deeply understood that America 'will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent,'" saidWhitehouse. "Our bipartisan delegation huddled this weekend with America's democratic allies to demonstrate that Congress will remain a bulwark against the worst impulses of the chaotic Trump administration. Congress staunchly supports the transatlantic alliances that have safeguarded and fostered democracy and security in the United States and Europe since World War II."

This morning, the bipartisan CODEL McCain delegation issued a joint statement urging significantly increased interdiction of the shadow fleet that is servicing Russia's oil economy.

In addition to the bilateral meetings, Whitehouse also participated in numerous side events and a public panel discussion on the national security threats posed by climate change which can be viewed here.

In addition to Whitehouse and Graham, other CODEL McCain participants included:

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT)

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Senator Peter Welch (D-VT)

Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ)

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)

The Munich Security Conference is widely considered the world's leading forum for international security policy and provides a venue to cooperatively address the world's most pressing security concerns. The Conference brings together nearly five hundred high-level decisionmakers from around the world, including heads of state, legislators, ministers, leaders of international organizations and non-governmental organizations, as well as prominent figures in business, media, research, and civil society.

The conference was held from Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15.