Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise once again in support of the people of Ukraine in their struggle against Russian aggression. The most recent diplomatic efforts seem to have only emboldened President Putin. Since Minsk II, which is the last time they came to an agreement with reference to a ceasefire, there have been hundreds of ceasefire violations and the city of Debaltseve has fallen under rebel control. Putin's forces now threaten Mariupol, which would provide a key land bridge to Crimea, and his intentions are clear. In my view, we need to urgently increase the cost to Putin with tougher sanctions and by providing more security assistance to the Ukrainian military. At a press conference on February 9 with Chancellor Merkel, the President said that his team was considering options including the provision of defensive military equipment if the diplomatic effort with respect to Russia has failed. As recent events have shown, Minsk II is clearly dead, and we need to take a different approach. At so many points in history, there have been opportunities for the international community to deter rogue actors from violating the sovereignty of other countries. Unless bullies such as Putin are confronted, they will always bully, they will always force a response, and they will always be an even greater problem for their neighbors and the broader international community. Putin took Crimea, then he took Donetsk, then he took Luhansk, and last week he took Debaltseve.…”