[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5903-S5904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this morning, the Senate welcomed 
Ukraine's inspirational and determined President Zelenskyy to the 
Capitol.
  For nearly 2 years, the people of Ukraine have defied the world's 
expectations. They have ground down the world's second most powerful 
military, and they have confounded Putin's aggressive, imperialist 
aspirations. At every step of the way, America's commitment and support 
has provided critical fuel for Ukraine's resistance and helped European 
allies wake up from a holiday from history.
  Now, our allies are awake. They are investing in collective defense, 
and clear majorities of Americans understand the importance of 
America's continuing to lead as the arsenal of democracy.
  I have been a staunch supporter of Ukraine's fight to take back its 
land, liberate its people, and restore its sovereignty since the 
beginning of Russia's invasion way back in 2014. Our Ukrainian friends' 
cause is just, and if the West continues to stand with them, they can 
win.
  But let's be absolutely clear: Ukraine's cause hasn't always been 
popular here in Washington.
  In 2021, Republicans recommended that the Biden administration step 
up assistance to help Ukraine deter renewed Russian threats, and the 
administration seemed to think Ukraine was a frozen conflict and a 
distraction from other priorities. In early 2022, as the gravity of 
Putin's plans came into focus, Republicans urged the President to 
expedite shipments of critical weapons systems to stop Russia's 
advance, but his administration's unfounded fear of escalating the 
conflict repeatedly kept decisive capabilities out of Ukrainian hands 
at critical moments.
  When Russian troops crossed the border and the administration first 
came

[[Page S5904]]

to Congress for assistance, it was Republicans who demanded we use 
emergency funds to pay for the cost of deploying U.S. forces to Europe 
rather than forcing our military to take those costs out of hide.
  And it was Republicans who demanded that our supplemental 
appropriations bills include funding to replenish and modernize the 
stockpiles we were drawing down to support Ukraine.
  Perhaps, they expected the war to be over quickly, but the Biden 
administration requested neither of these things. In fact, when the 
Senate received the President's first supplemental request, I called 
the Democratic leader and said: ``Double it.'' He agreed with my 
suggestion, and that is precisely what we did.
  Republicans on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and 
Appropriations Committees have worked overtime to help equip Ukraine 
for victory. We have pushed relentlessly for investments that 
strengthen our Armed Forces, degrade our adversaries, and stand firmly 
with a sovereign democracy against authoritarian aggression--all while 
expanding our defense industrial capacity and creating American jobs at 
the very same time.
  We have done it because we know that American leadership has ripple 
effects. Just look at how our European allies are now contributing more 
to Ukraine than we are, how allies across the world are investing in 
hard power and in our collective defense.
  We know that the threats we face are intertwined; that Russia, Iran, 
China, and North Korea work together to undermine America and the West. 
We know that our border--just like Ukraine's borders and Israel's and 
Taiwan's--must be inviolable.
  That is why, for months now, we have supported supplemental action on 
all four of the most pressing national security challenges we face. My 
support for Ukraine and Israel is rock solid. I am committed to 
preparing the U.S. military to deter and defend Chinese aggression. I 
am determined to get the national security crisis at the southern 
border under control. And I am going to work to get it done as long as 
it takes.