SEATTLE, WA – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement as Russian military aggression toward Ukrainian civilians and territory continued.
"I stand with the Ukrainian people in the fight against the unlawful and unprovoked invasion by Russia. The courage of the Ukrainian people has been an inspiration to the world. The U.S. and the world must do all we can to support Ukraine in this fight. I strongly support getting as much military aid to the Ukrainians as possible. We must work with our allies in Europe to get this aid into Ukraine as quickly as possible. We must do the same in getting humanitarian aid into Ukraine and to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, and elsewhere. This must be a large scale, coordinated effort.
"And the U.S. and our European allies must impose the harshest possible sanctions on Russia, Putin and his cronies. We should pull every economic lever available to us in an effort to impose severe costs on Putin for his barbaric decision to attack Ukraine. We must also put pressure on China to make sure Putin feels these economic costs. China cannot claim they oppose Putin's military attack on Ukraine out of one side of their mouth and then provide Putin the economic support he needs to succeed in that invasion out of the other.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine."
"I stand with the Ukrainian people in the fight against the unlawful and unprovoked invasion by Russia. The courage of the Ukrainian people has been an inspiration to the world. The U.S. and the world must do all we can to support Ukraine in this fight. I strongly support getting as much military aid to the Ukrainians as possible. We must work with our allies in Europe to get this aid into Ukraine as quickly as possible. We must do the same in getting humanitarian aid into Ukraine and to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, and elsewhere. This must be a large scale, coordinated effort.
"And the U.S. and our European allies must impose the harshest possible sanctions on Russia, Putin and his cronies. We should pull every economic lever available to us in an effort to impose severe costs on Putin for his barbaric decision to attack Ukraine. We must also put pressure on China to make sure Putin feels these economic costs. China cannot claim they oppose Putin's military attack on Ukraine out of one side of their mouth and then provide Putin the economic support he needs to succeed in that invasion out of the other.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine."