[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S1020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. President, on Ukraine, the meeting I had yesterday with President 
Biden and congressional leaders over Ukraine was one of the most 
intense discussions I have ever had--or witnessed--in the Oval Office.
  Every single one of us yesterday understood the basic facts: The 
situation in Ukraine is getting increasingly dire. Russia has made a 
major advance by taking the city of Avdiivka, which they did simply 
because Ukraine was running short of ammo and long-range artillery 
basic equipment. It wasn't the lack of the will of the fighters. It 
wasn't the lack of plan. It was, simply, that they ran out of 
ammunition. Imagine being a brave soldier fighting for freedom, 
fighting for your country, and you no longer have the ammo.
  Without more aid from the United States, Ukraine will lose. In fact, 
one American leader over there told me that he wouldn't be surprised if 
Russian tanks were on the Polish border if we didn't give any aid. What 
kind of legacy would that leave for the House Republicans who seem to 
want to stall that aid? It is not all of them, of course, but too many.
  Everyone in the room, with the exception of the Speaker, agreed that 
Congress must finish the work on the supplemental ASAP because the 
future of Ukraine and the West is at stake. Speaker Johnson said he 
wants to continue to think it over.
  I was candid with the Speaker that I hope he gives it careful thought 
because the eyes of history are upon him.
  I said to the Speaker: If you are the one stopping Ukraine aid, then 
no matter what the consequences may be in the short term, you will 
regret your decision 2 years from now and could potentially regret it 
for the rest of your life, because this will be remembered as a turning 
point in America for our strength, our credibility on the world stage, 
for our national security.
  If we don't provide this aid, every year the United States could lose 
out to its enemies: the autocrats of the world, the Putins, the Xis, 
the heads of North Korea, and Iran. We could lose out economically, 
militarily, diplomatically, politically because of a shortsighted 
decision not to provide the much needed aid.
  The Speaker has a legacy-defining decision to make on Ukraine. If he 
lets this bill move forward, he can go down as a fierce defender of 
America's core values. But if he shrinks from the importance of the 
moment, it will be the greatest gift Putin, other autocrats, and 
enemies of our country could possibly ask from the American Congress.