‘Reagan Is Turning in His Grave’ – US Senate Democrats Berate Ruling Party for Appeasing Russia

US Senate Democrats on Wednesday evening introduced resolutions that would make it clear that the Kremlin is squarely to blame for the war in Ukraine and for its war crimes, and berated Republicans for allowing their party leader to be so soft on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

At every turn, however, they were frustrated by opposition from Republicans loyal to President Donald Trump, who objected to all of them.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, arguably the most left-leaning member of the body, released in a statement during the debates that Democrats are asking “for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass a series of straightforward resolutions condemning Russia’s illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.” 

“The senators’ resolutions are statements of fact and principle,” the press release continued, “backed by evidence and long-standing American foreign policy, including:

• Clarifying that Russia started the war against Ukraine.
• Condemning Putin and Russian forces for their widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
• Condemning Russia’s forcible abduction of at least 20,000 Ukrainian children and calls for their return to their families.
• Reaffirming the support of the United States for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russia’s invasion.
• Restating a simple but fundamental principle of international law and global stability: that you do not take the territory of another country by force.
• Demanding that Putin immediately withdraw Russian forces from Ukraine, cease his attacks, and end this terrible war.”

Sen. James Risch, Republican of Idaho and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, had little time for Sanders’ resolution that called on Putin to withdraw Russian forces from Ukraine. Risch has been fervent in his position that, somehow, Putin does not have the power to bring the war to a close on his own.

 “Who do you think started the war?” Sanders replied. “He can do it.”

Risch also objected to a motion from Sen Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who asked for unanimous consent on a resolution condemning the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia.

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Along those same lines, Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, put forward a resolution that would codify that Putin had committed war crimes in Ukraine.

This time, the dissenting voice came from Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who had been relatively supportive of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and strayed from the Trump administration’s talking points when, two weeks ago, he criticized the US delegation meetings with Russian officials.

However, Wicker was squarely on message for Trump on Wednesday, also objecting to a Democratic proposal for a resolution affirming Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.

Expressing their frustration that the majority party would not concede to even the most basic, factual recognitions of Russia’s culpability in the war, and their party leader’s decision to pause intelligence sharing with their Ukrainian allies, the Democrats sounded off.

“Whose side are we on here?” asked Sanders’s Democratic colleague from Vermont, Sen. Peter Welch.

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado told Republicans that “Ronald Reagan is turning over in his grave.”