Rob Portman: “I come to the Senate floor today to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they suffer through the brutal and…”

“I come to the Senate floor today to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they suffer through the brutal and cowardly Russian assault. I have spoken on the floor each of the last 6 weeks about the horrific events we have all watched unfold and what role the United States should play. Simply put, we need to do more, and we need to do it more quickly, as do our allies. As we talk this evening, the shelling and killing of innocent civilians continues in the dark of night in places like Kyiv and Kharkiv and Mariupol, a beautiful port city being reduced to rubble by a frustrated Vladimir Putin. He seems intent on destroying what he can't have because of the brave, outgunned Ukrainians, who refuse to surrender and refuse to live under his despotic rule. Those heroic Ukrainian defenders of their homeland deserve our support. Even if they didn't, this bloody war launched by an authoritarian regime against a peaceful, democratic neighbor matters to world freedom, to our own national security. It must not stand, or else all of us in freedom-loving countries are at risk. As we talk this evening, the ruthless bombing continues. Something else is happening. President Biden is getting ready to cross the Atlantic to meet with our NATO partners to talk about next steps. Although nothing has done more to solidify the West than the ruthless Russian attacks, I commend President Biden for the important role he has played in helping keep the alliance together.…”