"As Putin continues bombing Ukraine and murdering innocent civilians, there is no reason we should be supporting any sector of Russia's economy."
Comments from Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley of March 4, 2025 after the Trump/Zalenskyy blow-up in the Oval Office.
Dear Constituent:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your support for Ukraine against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s full scale invasion. I share your support.
At the onset, I would like to take this opportunity to state emphatically that I feel for everyone fighting for their independence and way of life in the face of brutal Russian aggression. I certainly want to see an end to the war, and I support calls for the United States to stand firm in its unwavering support for Ukraine to push Russia back into its borders. I met with President Zelenskyy on February 28 as part of a senatorial delegation, and reaffirmed my long-held position that Putin is a dictator who is not interested in giving up his imperial ambitions.
That said, I am aware that President Trump has made comments about negotiating a quick to end the war and under the U.S. Constitution, international negotiations are his responsibility. I certainly want peace, and nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainian people. But, from my standpoint, I do not believe it is for the United States to negotiate the fate of Ukraine. In the wake of the revelations of the horrific mass shootings, torture, and rape of civilians in Russian occupied areas, Ukrainians overwhelmingly oppose ceding any territory to Russia. Putin's stated aim, which he repeats constantly, is to wipe out Ukrainian national identity, which is in fact widely held throughout Ukraine, including in predominantly Russian-speaking areas. It is hard to envision Putin agreeing to a stable, permanent peace that results in an independent, democratic Ukraine, and no Ukrainian leader can accept anything less. However, I hope that I am wrong.
There has been a lot of rhetoric about Ukraine recently, but what I am concerned about is policy. I criticized President Trump during his first administration when he made comments that were weak toward Russia, but President Trump did reverse the Obama policy of refusing lethal aid to Ukraine. That said, I do not agree with all of President Trump’s rhetoric on Russia and Ukraine today. I previously gave a speech that criticized actions by Presidents on both sides of the aisle that I think sent inappropriate, if unintentional, signals of weakness. You can view that speech here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/grassley-warns-of-weakness-... Most recently, on the three-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I gave a speech about how I would approach the current situation: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/grassley-reaffirms-support-...
I believe we must stand up to Putin's aggression. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of S.Res.91, introduced by Senator Shaheen, which acknowledges the third anniversary of Russia's invasion and expresses support for the people of Ukraine. It also commends NATO, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and the international community for their continued efforts to support Ukraine's defense and the protection of human rights on its territory. You can read more about this at: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-bipart....
To date, the United States has only spent roughly 5% of the US military’s own budget. Ukraine remains in control of roughly 83% of its territory and U.S. intelligence believes the war has severely degraded Russia’s military power and its ability to threaten NATO allies. In fact, according to defense calculations, at the current rate, it would cost Russia 39 million soldiers, and take 83 years to reach the capital in Kyiv. This is certainly reflective of the will of Ukrainians and allies alike who wish to stand up against Russia. Unless the West abandons support to Ukraine, it is hard to see how Russian can achieve its repeatedly stated goal of toppling the elected government of Ukraine and installing a pro-Russian puppet government.
If the United States and our NATO allies allow Putin to succeed in any way in his unjust war against Ukraine, then it will only encourage Putin to ignore the borders of other sovereign nations and jeopardize our national security. Equipping Ukrainian forces with effective military equipment will bolster their efforts to push back Russia and defend their nation. Failure to do so, as in the case of the invasion and occupation of parts of Georgia in 2008, and Ukraine in 2014, will simply provoke further aggression.
As Putin continues bombing Ukraine and murdering innocent civilians, there is no reason we should be supporting any sector of Russia's economy.
It may interest you to know that I have introduced legislation to hold bad actors accountable that violate U.S. sanctions and choose to do business with Russia by violating U.S. sanctions. My legislation expands on anti-money laundering whistleblower program by adding support for whistleblowers who report violations of U.S. sanction laws, providing a funding mechanism to pay whistleblower awards and guaranteeing a minimum award amount paid to whistleblowers. The United States has enacted heavy sanctions against Russia for its unjust war in Ukraine, and it is critical that these sanctions are enforced to the fullest extent.
While I wish sanctions would have been implemented sooner, I am supportive of the aggressive action the U.S. has taken against Russia since its attack. Following the numerous sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and our international allies, the Russian ruble plummeted in value. However, the ruble has since rebounded, indicating that international sanctions to date have not been sufficient to cripple the Russian economy.
The Treasury Department also has information about the U.S. sanctions against Russia at: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-pr...
To learn more about all the actions I have taken to stand against Putin’s aggression, you can visit my website at: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/grassley-leads-efforts-to-support-ukrain....
I certainly support the efforts by the United States and NATO allies to strengthen our alliance and to support Ukraine. If Putin is able to gain territory or anything he did not have before, it will only encourage future aggression. As Putin continues to choose to inflict his unjust war against Ukraine, I will certainly keep your comments in mind regarding U.S. foreign policy with Russia and Ukraine.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
United States Senator
