Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today responded to press reports citing Vladimir Putin visiting troops at the Kursk front and comments from the Kremlin that the proposed peace deal with Ukraine is “nothing other than a temporary time-out.”
 
“President Trump and President Zelenskyy both have shown resolve by working toward an enduring peace, but dictator Putin has once again signaled no interest in that outcome.” Chairman Rogers and Chairman Wicker said. “President Biden failed to stop Russia’s full-scale invasion because Vladimir Putin responds only to strength. Thankfully, President Trump understands this reality. We agree with him that if Putin continues to obstruct an end to the war, the U.S. must impose large-scale sanctions. We must make clear that the costs of continuing the bloodshed will far exceed anything Putin has experienced to date. Toward that end, we applaud the Trump administration’s decision today to end the Biden banking sanctions loophole that allowed for the continued purchase of Russian energy and funded Putin’s war machine. Moreover, until Russia lays down its weapons, Ukraine must continue to receive intelligence and military tools from not only the United States but also our NATO allies.”