Three-Year Anniversary of Russia's Brutal Attack on Ukraine

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, this week marks a very solemn anniversary. It is the anniversary of Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine.

Three years ago, Russia started this war by invading Ukraine, not the other way around.

I repeat: Three years ago, Russia started this war.

I am utterly disgusted that President Trump would refute this absolute truth.

I am equally horrified by President Trump's characterization of President Zelenskyy as a dictator who does not want peace. I was with President Zelenskyy just last week in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. He is an honorable and earnest leader, a man who has even offered to step down from the Presidency if it would guarantee the freedom of his people.

President Trump's blatant lie and absurd insult is a lie directly out of Soviet-style propagandist playbooks. It is Putin who wants to take Ukraine's resource-rich land. It is Putin who wants to strip its people of their rights and their freedoms, and it is Putin who wants to destroy another European democracy. It is Putin who is a cancer on the world, a liar, a torturer, a murderer, and a war criminal.

It is appalling to see our President of these United States, expected to be a reliable standard-bearer of democracy, align himself and as a result ourselves so closely with our adversaries, even organizing a sit-down to determine the fate of Ukraine without Ukraine at the table, and without the input of our European allies at all.

Whatever comes out of these meetings will not be a peace agreement. It will instead be a Russian power grab and an appeasement of war criminal Putin facilitated by the United States, an illegitimate peace. It is all horrifying. It is all infuriating, and it is all antithetical to our American ideals.

As President Trump and his administration publicly trash our allies, undermine the strength of NATO, and decimate our international aid programs, our adversaries are greedily and happily waiting to fill the gaps that this administration is deliberately creating.

On Monday, the United States joined Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan, and Hungary--I will name them again: Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan, and Hungary--a group of countries I never would like us to be associated with, in voting against the United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Putin's forces from Ukraine.

To quote my Republican colleague and dear friend, Congressman Don Bacon: The Trump administration royally screwed up on Ukraine.

Another anniversary is fast approaching. Indeed, on April 20 of last year, 101 Republicans voted to support Ukraine. I am really glad that Representative Bacon is speaking out about President Trump's actions, but I wonder where are the rest of his colleagues?

I hope that the other 100 Members who supported aid to Ukraine in April will be as brave as Representative Bacon and speak out against this administration's ridiculous and dangerous actions.

I want to emphasize how important it is that the American people hear President Trump's own words, see his own actions, and be appropriately outraged.

President Trump's disavowal of Ukraine and his cozying up to dictators puts us here in the United States at risk as well. President Trump's turn towards authoritarianism leaves us exposed politically and economically.

Scorned allies could pull out or change their free trade agreements, cause shortages in imported goods, including food and oil, pharmaceuticals, and more. President Trump campaigned on bringing down costs, but his very actions right now are indeed undermining the value of the dollar and driving up inflation.

We have heard over and over again from the American people that the prices of essential goods are already too high, and President Trump's actions will only hurt our attempts to bring down these costs.

America's global leadership also helps to keep Americans safe, too. President Trump turning his back on Ukraine isolates us and undermines our strength, the strength of international institutions, and the security networks that work, like NATO.

This encourages NATO allies to question our own alliance and allegiance. It, in turn, causes our allies worldwide to do the same, and those who are considering with whom to form alliances, and there are many, it causes them as well to turn away from us.

It gets worse. With President Trump actually allying himself with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, these countries now seemingly have America's explicit backing to spread their influence, and in some cases to spread their force, like we have seen in Ukraine. This will undoubtedly cause people to flee oppressive regimes and create new regimes, who will be inspired by this global democratic back slide.

President Trump claimed he was going to reduce this kind of migration, but the political turmoil he is causing will, in fact, make it worse, pushing people to seek safety outside of their own home country.

We can't turn our back on Ukraine and the world, and we cannot expect that the consequences of that decision will not reach our shores. The American way of life is reliant on our global reputation and interconnectivity. President Trump is doing his very best to tear that all down.

President Trump must reverse his dangerous position. He must stop this gamesmanship, and he must recommit to our longstanding alliances instead of realigning ourselves, the United States, with dictators.

I yield now to my esteemed colleague from the great State of Ohio, the very honorable Marcy Kaptur.

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Ms. HOULAHAN. The gentlewoman is very welcome. It is my privilege.

Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I begin by thanking my friend and colleague, Representative Houlahan, for convening this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support our ally, Ukraine, and speak up against the grave threat the Trump administration's support for Russia poses to democracy at home and abroad.

Yesterday marked 3 years since Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign nation. We have since witnessed incredible bravery from the Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines to the families who have endured unimaginable loss yet continue to fight for their homeland.

My community of Buffalo knows what it means to stand together in times of hardship. We are a city that welcomes, embraces, and lifts up those in need. I stood arm in arm with western New York's Ukrainian community in Niagara Square, designated Ukraine Freedom Square, just outside Buffalo City Hall days after Russia's invasion.

What I said then is just as true today: The United States of America must always stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Buffalo is known as the City of Good Neighbors, and that spirit has been evident in the way our community has opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees, providing shelter, education, and hope for a better future.

Members of this body, both Democrats and Republicans alike, understand that this is not just Ukraine's fight. This is a battle between democracy and tyranny, between freedom and oppression.

That is why this body has come together on numerous occasions to pass legislation to help the people of Ukraine resist the Russian invasion and defend their homeland. We continue to do this because we know that if Russia succeeds, it sets a dangerous precedent for dictators around the world, and it threatens the security of our NATO allies.

When the President of the United States chooses to spread the same false Russian propaganda as Vladimir Putin, absolving Russia for its responsibility of starting the war and defaming the democratically elected President of our ally, we should have the courage to stand up and call it what it is: a bald-faced lie.

It is shameful when we, the shining city upon a hill, as President Reagan put it, oppose a United Nations resolution condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine. The rest of the world should look to us as a model of democracy. Instead, we are enabling a dictator.

Just think about the company that we are keeping with this U.N. vote. The only other countries to oppose this resolution were Russia, North Korea, and Belarus, all dictatorships.

Since when does the United States side with dictators? I suppose when we have a President who says he wants to be one.

Turning our back on Ukraine goes against everything Americans have fought and died for since we declared our independence from a monarch in England. Supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine sends a dangerous message to our allies around the world: The United States is no longer a reliable friend. You are on your own.

I have news for you. We are much better than this as a country. This isn't just about democracy. It is also about our national security and our credibility on the world stage. The world is a safer place and the American people are more secure when we stand united with our allies, uphold our commitments to global peace and stability, and lead with strength, diplomacy, and integrity.

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I very much thank all of my colleagues for joining us and meeting here tonight.

This evening, we heard about the damage that President Trump's actions have done to our Nation's security. If our Nation turns its back on Ukraine, we heard about what comes next: Our ally Taiwan left in greater jeopardy to a Chinese invasion; our allies elsewhere left looking for security and other trading opportunities; and worst of all, our enemies worldwide left emboldened by Trump's isolationist actions.

The American people should be worried tonight. History has shown us that when America is isolated, we are less safe.

I very much hope that my Republican friends, the 101 of them, now 100 of them, who very recently voted in support of this nation in its fight for their democracy and, as a consequence, all of our democratic values, will stand up to our President and will help us, the United States, change our course and, as a consequence, the world change its course for safety and freedom, as well.

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