United States Senate Democrats
08/07/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/07/2026 11:32
Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Ahead Of The Vote On Russia Sanctions: “We Have To Make It Clear To Putin That He’s Fighting A Losing Battle”
If we want to stop the bloodshed Russia unleashed on Ukraine, we have to make it clear to Putin that he's fighting a losing battle.
The Russia sanctions bill sends an unmistakable message to Moscow that America will back Ukraine to the hilt. That we will look for new ways to back Ukraine. Lindsey Graham was searching for those ways for a long time. And today, his wishes, even though he's no longer with us, are likely to achieve fruition.
The Russia sanctions bill will make it clear that American[s] will back Ukraine to the hilt.
The Russia sanctions bill sends an unmistakable message to Putin that we will oppose him for as long as it takes to defeat him.
I've long said that supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's illegal invasion is about protecting the United States and our future generations as much as it's about supporting Ukraine.
Just this morning, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. intelligence is now warning Putin may try a limited assault on NATO in the coming months and years to test our resolve.
Putin's ambitions beyond Ukraine have long been clear to all of us who have fought tooth and nail to support Ukraine.
Putin wants to test America's resolve because he doubts Trump's resolve.
That's what happens when Trump tries to placate the Russians at every turn.
And now Congress, bipartisan with Lindsey Graham looking down upon us, is saying, even if Trump doesn't get it, the danger that Putin presents, we do. And we are taking strong action.
We need to show Putin he's dead wrong about questioning our strength, and this bill is an important step in that direction.
This legislation is going to help drain Putin's war chest and give Ukraine the tools to defend itself.
I thank Senators Blumenthal and Shaheen for all their work on this bill. They've been diligent, dogged and unrelenting, and they're about to achieve their goal of passing this legislation.
Thugs like Putin don't care about what we say - only about what we do. You can only stop them with actions, not words.
Russia is losing momentum in this war every single day. And we will keep helping Ukraine stop the invaders in their tracks for as long as it takes.
###
United States Senate Democrats published this content on August 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 07, 2026 at 17:32 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]