WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Appropriations Committees and Chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), co-chair of the U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group, released the following statement after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a bipartisan group of Senators about the ongoing war in his country and the need for continued support from the U.S. and NATO.

“Ukraine’s fight is a fight for democracy and freedom in every corner of the world. As President Zelenskyy reminded us today, if we let authoritarians like Putin dictate the futures of sovereign countries, respect for human rights and democratic values will deteriorate, the global economy will suffer and any autocrats, including Xi Jinping, will be emboldened to follow suit. The quickest way to end this war is for Congress to continue to provide Ukraine with the assistance it needs to defeat Putin and his unprovoked attempt to overrun a sovereign nation. Many of our NATO Allies have played a critical role in rallying to support Ukraine, and we will continue to make sure all our Allies increase their defense spending and uphold their obligations to ensure victory. We must answer the call and demonstrate to Moscow and Beijing that the United States remains committed to standing up to rogue states that threaten global security, independence, and economic stability,” said Senators Shaheen and Tillis, co-chairs of the U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group.

As co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, Shaheen and Tillis have led efforts to sustain strong bipartisan support for NATO, especially in light of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Together, they have led two bipartisan delegations to the NATO Summits in Madrid and Vilnius, and led efforts to advance Sweden and Finland’s bids for NATO membership. Shaheen is also chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee that oversees U.S. policy towards Europe, leading on efforts in defense of democracies around the globe amid Putin’s efforts to destabilize the continent. Shaheen led on the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, which was signed into law, and establishes a military lend-lease program to enhance security assistance to Ukraine. Shaheen also leads the Promoting Readiness for Overseas Contingencies and Unexpected Responses to Exigencies (PROCURE) Act with Senator Tillis , which would establish a Critical Munitions Acquisition Fund (CMAF) to allow the Secretary of Defense to better manage industry production lines and sustain particular munitions lines that are critical to U.S. national security interests.

Newsletter