On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, New Hampshire), Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, Rhode Island), Chris Coons (Democrat, Delaware), and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut) arrived in Odessa, once again affirming unwavering bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress and among the American people.
This is the first visit by a Senate delegation to Odessa since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, reports Interfax. During the visit, Senator Shaheen and her colleagues expressed “admiration for the enormous courage and determination of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s aggressive war, which sharply intensified after Putin’s invasion in 2022.”
The senators stressed the urgent need for Congress to impose strict sanctions on Russia and provide additional support to Ukraine to compel Putin to negotiate. They noted that the Kremlin continues “buying time” while Russian attacks cause catastrophic damage to civilians and critical infrastructure, and emphasized that the U.S. administration “must exert real pressure on Putin to achieve a lasting and just peace for Ukraine.”
Shaheen has recently championed a number of bipartisan bills in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee targeting Russia, including the STOP Russia and China Act and the SHADOW Fleet Sanctions Act.
During their visit, the delegation met with Ukrainian government and military officials, border guards, leaders in port and maritime security in the Odessa region, as well as U.S. companies in agriculture and logistics operating in Ukraine, and local religious, civic, and private leaders. Senators also received briefings from Ukrainian and American officials on air defense capabilities protecting Black Sea ports, the impact of Russian drone and missile strikes on critical infrastructure, and ongoing maritime security challenges.
“Almost four years after Putin’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian people continue to resist relentless waves of brutal Russian attacks on innocent civilians. It was an honor for me to lead this delegation and meet Ukrainians from all walks of life standing courageously on the frontlines of freedom,” Shaheen said.
She emphasized that “the path to peace requires sustained pressure on Vladimir Putin — not pressure on Ukraine to compromise its sovereignty.”
Shaheen added, “It is long past time for President Trump to strengthen sanctions on Russia, provide security assistance to Ukraine, and exert real pressure on Russia. Until the president acts decisively, Putin will continue to manipulate him. If the president refuses to act, Congress must step in. My bipartisan legislation to counter Russia’s shadow fleet and its Chinese enablers has already passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with broad support and is ready for consideration on the Senate floor next week with strong bipartisan backing. This sends Putin a clear signal that time is not on his side.”
Senator Coons highlighted that
“the Ukrainian people deserve our support for a fair and lasting peace that guarantees their sovereignty and security, not a temporary deal allowing Russia to rearm and attack again in a few years. I am proud to travel this week with my colleagues to thank the Ukrainian people for defending democracy and to reaffirm our continued support in Congress — providing robust intelligence, military, and financial assistance for their cause.”
Senator Blumenthal stated,
“Putin is a monstrous thug who understands only strength — and he continues to play games with America, even in Geneva negotiations. I was shocked to learn that Putin is deliberately targeting American businesses, bombing more than half of the 600 companies operating here. It’s an ‘open season’ on U.S. factories and offices in Ukraine.”
Senator Whitehouse emphasized his firm support for the “bipartisan consensus that the U.S. and the world must aggressively shut down the shadow fleet of oil and gas tankers sustaining Russia’s energy economy.”
