Source: United States Senator for Ohio Rob Portman
November 5, 2021 | Press Releases
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) released the below statement on the current situation in Ukraine:
“I remain very concerned about Russian action on the Eastern Ukrainian border. Reports indicates increased deployments of troops, artillery, and tanks toward Ukraine under the guise of military exercises. As I have pointed out before, during previous exercises the Russians left large amounts of lethal equipment staged near the Donbas region and are now using subsequent troop movements and other tactics to further threaten Ukraine and destabilize the region.
“As Congress debates the annual National Defense Authorization Act, I am encouraged by a continuing strong bipartisan consensus and commitment to ensuring Ukraine’s defense. The Ukraine Security Partnership Initiative I introduced in 2016 continues to provide crucial military assistance and support. This year the House and Senate agreed to increase funding from $250 to $300 million for this vital program, $75 million of which will be for lethal assistance. These funds help train, equip, and provide support for the Ukrainian military and in light of recent Russian provocations, I am pushing to increase these funding levels even more. The Biden administration must send a clear message to Moscow that further attempts at intimidation and coercion of our key allies in the Black Sea Region will not be tolerated.
“The United States must continue to increase the number of diplomatic engagements with Ukraine to send a clear message to Moscow that we stand firmly with Ukraine. I am encouraged by President Biden’s and Secretary Blinken’s recent discussions with President Zelensky at the COP 26 Conference. I also look forward to positive developments from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba’s pending trip to the United States to participate in the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission. After 13 years of partnership, it is time to revisit and refresh this charter to reflect the growth of the Ukrainian democracy, the capabilities of their armed forces, and the continued threat they face from Russian aggression.
“However, more concrete steps must be taken beyond diplomacy. Since the announcement by President Biden to waive the congressionally-mandated sanctions on Nord Stream 2, Russia has used its energy resources as a weapon, both to extract geopolitical concessions and to put immense pressure on Ukrainians. As recently as October 29, Russia announced a halt to its exports of anthracite to Ukraine, even as Russia has increased exports of this commodity to Asia and other European countries. Ukraine’s supply of heating resources are already low given higher than expected demand and lower domestic production. It is clear that the Biden administration’s decision to allow Nord Stream 2 to become operational, has allowed Russian to use energy as a weapon, and the situation is set to get worse as Russia’s market share of European gas exports has increased to more than a third. While Ukraine is on the front lines of facing Russian malign influence, this is truly a problem for the whole of Europe.
“The Biden administration must follow through on its commitments to protect Europe and continue America’s leadership role in the world. There is no substitute for the American values of freedom and liberty – we need to look no further than the brave Ukrainians who continue to fight and die resisting Russian control of the Donbas.”
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