Kelly, Colleagues Denounce Trump Ultimatum for Ukraine

Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5), Representative Jim Himes (D-CT-04), and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) issued the following statement in response to the ultimatum that President Donald Trump and his administration are forcing on Ukraine:
 
“President Trump’s ultimatum to Ukraine would give Putin exactly what he wants and force Ukraine to accept a Russian-dictated plan that would leave them vulnerable to future attack. If the president follows through, his peace plan would fail and he would be abandoning Ukraine. 
 
“Ukraine has already agreed to an unconditional general ceasefire. Putin has not. During this conflict, Ukraine has continually exceeded expectations on the battlefield and has continued to inflict huge losses on Russia. They have bent over backward to accommodate the administration’s focus on a minerals deal. It makes no sense to force Ukraine to cede land illegally seized in Russian invasions now and remove economic sanctions against Russia. Rather than seeking concessions from Russia, the administration is shifting the pain to Ukraine. This ultimatum would reward Putin’s aggression and only allow Russia time to rearm and attack Ukraine again, undoing the work of American service members and taxpayers, partners and allies, and valiant Ukrainian fighters defending their sovereignty. 
 
“It also grants Putin’s war aims something no other American president has done—legitimacy. This plan risks widening the conflict and threatening even more catastrophic fallout. It would be a sign that America can no longer be trusted to stand with allies and partners. It would undermine the strength and stability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the coalition of over 50 countries that have come together to defend Ukraine, and the rules-based order that has held that no country should be allowed to take another country’s territory through sheer force. The ramifications would be felt worldwide and for generations to come. You can be sure that China, Iran, North Korea, and global extremists are watching closely.
 
“For the sake of U.S. national security and global stability, we urge the president to withdraw this demand and shift pressure from Ukraine to Russia to conclude a durable and just peace.”