[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2387-S2388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for more than 70 days now, the Ukrainian 
people have endured--and more than endured, they fought back. They 
stood up to their invaders and have achieved amazing things against a 
superior force--superior, at least, on paper.
  Many feared that Russia would crush Ukraine in days. Instead, Ukraine 
has not only withstood Russian aggression but has inflicted humiliating 
defeats on Russia. Twelve--twelve--Russian generals have reportedly 
been killed. Russia lost thousands of its troops, as well as hundreds 
of tanks and scores of aircraft. One estimate from British intelligence 
suggests that Russia may have lost more than a quarter of its ground 
combat strength.
  Ukrainians successfully pushed Russia out of the Kyiv suburbs, have 
retaken territory outside of Kharkiv, and still--still--maintain a 
defiant hold on the steel plant in Mariupol despite being encircled by 
Russian troops.
  At the same time we recognize Ukraine's successes and the fierce 
determination that has made them possible, it is also important to 
remember the devastation this war has inflicted. Thousands of Ukrainian 
civilians have been killed. Somewhere around 12 million Ukrainians have 
fled their homes. And the list of Russian atrocities gets longer every 
day--schools and hospitals intentionally bombed, executions and mass 
graves, torture, rape, the deliberate targeting of civilians, apparent 
war crimes.
  In a few short weeks, Russia has brought unimaginable devastation. 
The port city of Mariupol--once home to more than 400,000 people--has 
been reduced to rubble. The city essentially no longer exists. Across 
Ukraine, an untold number of homes and buildings have been destroyed. 
It will take years to rebuild or remove the imprint of Russian 
aggression from the landscape, and some things cannot be entirely 
recovered. Just last night, Russia intentionally struck civilian 
centers in Odessa, bombing a shopping mall and a consumer warehouse 
without regard for innocent human life.
  The Ukrainian people have displayed an incredible gallantry and 
resolve. They have embraced this fight and the cause of their country's 
freedom. They have not spent any time waiting around for anyone else to 
come and save them. In fact, a recent news story highlighted the fact 
that Ukrainians not only continue to oppose the Russians, they have 
actually started rebuilding in places even as the war continues to 
rage.
  But it is also important to remember that the Ukrainian people cannot 
sustain this war without military support from the United States and 
other free countries. The weapons and military resources we have 
supplied are playing a crucial role in enabling Ukraine to continue 
standing up to Russian aggression, and it is essential that we continue 
that support for as long as the Ukrainian people need it.
  At the end of April, the President sent Congress a request for $33 
billion in emergency supplemental funding for critical security and 
economic assistance to Ukraine. Negotiations are ongoing about how we 
iron out a few matters. The top-line numbers may

[[Page S2388]]

change, but I hope Congress can act quickly to get Ukraine the military 
equipment it needs, as well as humanitarian support to help the 
millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced. We also need to make 
sure that our European partners are making similar contributions to 
help put President Zelenskyy in the strongest possible position to 
bring this war to an end. It would be a tragedy for Ukraine to have 
bought all this time with our help only to lose the initiative now.
  So I hope that we can get this funding out the door as quickly as 
possible and that Democrats will not slow things down by attaching 
extraneous funding requests for unrelated policy riders. Thirty-three 
billion dollars is a substantial sum of money, but, as the news reports 
showing Ukrainian highways dotted with bombed-out Russian tanks attest, 
Ukraine is putting our military aid to good use.
  The cost of inaction on our part--of allowing Vladimir Putin to 
destroy Ukraine and threaten NATO--would be much greater. We should not 
be so naive as to think that Putin's campaign of Soviet expansion will 
end with Ukraine. There are rightfully concerns that he will seek to 
escalate into former Soviet countries in Eastern Europe or even 
further. He has already hinted at a willingness to use nuclear weapons, 
and he proved in Syria that he is certainly OK with the use of chemical 
weapons.
  I hope defenders of the Iran nuclear deal are making note of what 
nuclear power looks like in the hands of a nation with a malign agenda.
  We cannot allow Putin to think that he can pursue his expansionist 
dreams unopposed.

  The United States and all NATO members must remain committed to our 
shared defense and to supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom. NATO 
countries should also preserve our open-door policy to nations that are 
seeking to contribute to the collective security of the alliance. There 
can never be too many allies in the quest to preserve peace and 
maintain a strong defense against tyranny, and we should welcome any 
nation that seeks to help further those goals.
  Currently, Russia's main areas of control span from east of Kharkiv 
to previously contested parts of the Donbas and now along the coast of 
the Sea of Azov and past Crimea in an attempt to fully block Ukraine's 
access to the Black Sea. Russia has failed to capture Kyiv or break the 
resolve of the Ukrainian people, so now Putin wants to close Ukraine 
off from the world, which will harm not only Ukrainians but also 
Ukraine's trading partners that rely on Ukraine's substantial 
agricultural capacity.
  Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil. If 
Ukraine's ability to produce and export these products is compromised, 
which is already happening, we are likely to see not only price hikes 
but very serious food shortages as a result.
  The World Food Programme reports that an additional 47 million people 
around the world could be facing acute hunger if the war in Ukraine 
continues. In a world in which hunger persists and famine looms, 
Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine threatens to cause casualties far 
beyond Ukraine's borders, which brings us back once again to the 
importance of supporting the Ukrainian people and their fight.
  As President Zelenskyy said the other day in reference to the United 
States and Ukraine, we defend common values, democracy, and freedom. We 
do, indeed, Mr. President. We do, indeed.
  The Ukrainian people are currently giving their all to secure a 
future of democracy and freedom in Ukraine. Let's continue to make it 
clear that they are not alone in that fight, and let's make sure they 
have the tools they need to win this war and secure Ukraine's freedom 
permanently.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Illinois.