[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2870-S2871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, remember when President Trump announced he 
would end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office? Instead, over 
a year and a half later, President Trump and Vice President Vance have 
publicly humiliated Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and made 
embarrassingly friendly overtures to the man who attacked his country--
who attacked Ukraine--Russian President Putin. It is hard to 
understand.
  Mr. Putin's response has been to thumb his nose at the United States 
and any efforts toward peace. In fact, in recent months, Putin has 
launched some of the deadliest attacks on civilian targets since the 
Ukrainian war has begun. This invasion by the Russians of Ukraine has 
now lasted longer than World War I.
  Let me repeat that. This invasion of Ukraine by the Russians and 
Vladimir Putin has now led to a conflict that has lasted longer than 
World War I.

  On Monday, Russia fired a barrage of missiles at several major 
Ukrainian cities, killing at least 11 people and sparking a massive 
fire at one of the most important Orthodox monasteries, a UNESCO world 
heritage site.
  And Russia has continued its acts of sabotage and provocation 
throughout NATO and Europe, not to mention its supplying of targeting 
information to Iran to hit U.S. interests in the region.
  Imagine my surprise when, amid all of these Russian attacks on 
Ukraine and neighboring countries, the Trump administration sent a U.S. 
official to Putin's annual economic conference, earlier this month, in 
St. Petersburg, Russia. We had an official delegation to Putin's 
economic development conference for Russia, while we were trying to 
stop them from attacking Ukraine and other countries.
  At this annual event, we had the U.S. Chairman of the Commission of 
Fine Arts representing the United States. His name is Rodney Mims Cook, 
Jr. He was at the event with President Putin, in St. Petersburg, to 
talk about economic development in Russia.
  You may recall that Mr. Cook has been officially helping President

[[Page S2871]]

Trump with his grandiose ballroom and arch projects.
  Why would President Trump give any U.S. legitimacy to this Russia 
propaganda event, while Putin continues to bomb Ukraine and snub 
efforts to end the war?
  Why would President Trump proceed with recently reported plans to 
significantly reduce air and naval assets available for NATO operations 
in Europe, while Putin continues such mayhem?
  On Tuesday, President Trump went as far as to signal that the war in 
Ukraine was not a priority of the United States. President Trump told 
reporters at the G7 summit that we had ``nothing to do'' with a war 
that was ``thousands of miles away.''
  I could not disagree more. It is long overdue that the Pentagon spend 
the $400 million in Ukraine assistance, which was appropriated by 
Congress and signed into law by the President, and the $200 million in 
Baltic security funds that this Congress passed several months ago.
  I raised the point that we had appropriated these funds officially--
signed by President Trump--at a recent hearing with Secretary Hegseth 
and Secretary Rubio. They indicated to me the funds were just getting 
ready, any day now, to be moved, which I hope is correct, as these 
should have been sent long ago and should not be delayed any further.
  It is also long overdue for this Chamber to act on Russia- and 
Ukraine-related legislation.
  A few weeks ago, the House of Representatives, overwhelmingly and on 
a bipartisan basis, passed a bill to provide additional security aid to 
Ukraine and to tighten sanctions on Russia. That is exactly what is 
needed to force Russia to finally negotiate peace and stop this attack 
on Ukraine and its people.
  Here in the Senate, we have a broad, bipartisan Russia sanctions bill 
that has been pending for months without action.
  So, while we send the President's ballroom representative to 
represent the United States of America in St. Petersburg, Russia, and 
talk about Putin's plans for rebuilding Russia's economy--while that is 
going on--Russia is attacking the Ukrainians and neighboring countries; 
and the United States, through the President, has announced that it is 
none of our business.