Washington, DC – Days after the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s murderous invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a bipartisan group of senators, just ahead of Zelenskyy’s midday summit at the White House. The senators reiterated their unwavering support for Ukrainian victory against Putin’s murderous regime, and their respect for his and his people’s courage and resilience.
The summit at the White House devolved after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated President Zelenskyy.
“On multiple occasions, in Kyiv, in Munich and in Washington, I have repeatedly told President Zelenskyy that I stand firmly with Ukraine in their fight to beat back the brutal Russian invaders,” said Whitehouse. “I was disgusted to see our nation’s leaders in the Oval Office ganging up on the elected freedom-fighter, and taking the side of the murderous despot. President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have shown stunning courage in the face of invasion, murder, torture and relentless Russian military attacks on civilians. Donald Trump has betrayed alliances that have kept Americans safe since World War II, out of a fealty to Putin that demands investigation.”
Earlier this month, Whitehouse and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) co-led a bipartisan delegation to the Munich Security Conference, where they met with President Zelenskyy.
Whitehouse is one of the leading champions in the Senate for Ukrainian victory. Shortly after the Russian invasion in 2022, Whitehouse partnered with Graham and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to establish the informal Ukraine Victory Caucus. Whitehouse and Graham passed bipartisan legislation into law to allow for the transfer of seized assets of Putin and his corrupt oligarchs to help pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Whitehouse’s bipartisan REPO for Ukrainians Act passed into law in April 2024. The law allows frozen sovereign assets of the Russian Federation to be used, including through seizure, for rebuilding Ukraine. In October, the Biden administration and G7 allies announced a collective $50 billion loan to Ukraine, to be repaid with funds generated by Russia’s frozen sovereign assets.
This week, on the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s murderous invasion, Whitehouse issued a statement slamming the Trump administration for voting against a United Nations resolution condemning the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, and reiterated his long-running support for Ukrainian victory in the conflict.
