Marcy Kaptur: “As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, I rise today with deep concern regarding the Kremlin's…”

“As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, I rise today with deep concern regarding the Kremlin's increased aggression toward our ally, Ukraine. Currently, Russia is amassing troops in and close to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials estimate about 80,000 Russian troops are amassed on its border. U.S. European Command General Tod Wolters said, the current Russian force mirrors the size of the infiltration of forces that occurred back in 2014 when Russia illegally invaded Ukrainian territory. This aggression serves one purpose: Russia's hybrid warfare to threaten the security of the Transatlantic Alliance. I am so grateful to President Biden for his exceptional leadership and support for Ukraine, and I agree completely that there must be serious consequences should Russia escalate further. I am also thankful for the administration's latest round of punitive sanctions on Russia given its malign behavior. To strengthen Ukraine's deterrence capabilities, our caucus spearheaded efforts to increase Ukraine's defense assistance funding by $25 million, up to $275 million in fiscal year 2021, and to place mandatory sanctions on Nord Stream 2. Our caucus stands ready to support NATO and the Transatlantic Alliance to ensure the protection of Ukraine's sovereignty. ____________________”