Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Condemning President Trump For Siding With Putin Over Our Allies On The Third Anniversary Of Russia’s War Of Aggression Against Ukraine

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s evil and destructive war on Ukraine, reiterating that the United States has always stood on the side of democracy and urging President Trump to heed the warnings of world leaders and stand up to Putin for America’s national security and the freedom of nations worldwide. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Three years ago, Vladimir Putin brought war and destruction to the free people of Ukraine.

Three years ago, a power hungry autocrat broke the peace in Europe, violated the sovereignty of an independent democracy, and rolled tanks and weapons and troops across the Ukrainian borders without provocation or justification.

Vladimir Putin has sealed his place in history as an enemy to democracy, to freedom, and to peace.

His war has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians.

His rockets have destroyed homes and churches and schools and hospitals – deliberately, in many cases.

A year ago I was there. I saw the destruction. I saw parking lots being turned into mass graves. I spoke with soldiers near the border trying to defend their homes.

And I felt the deep resolve of the Ukrainian people. I felt the value of America’s leadership in the international struggle to push back against Putin’s evil aggression.  

Today we remember Bucha.

We remember the atrocities committed in Mariupol, and we remember everywhere where Putin’s horrors have touched.  

We honor the lives lost at the hands of Russia’s war of aggression.

And we will not let Vladimir Putin and his thugs off the hook.

For three years, the United States has been clear on where we stand:

We have stood on the side of democracy, the inviolability of borders, and the freedom of nations and against Vladimir Putin.

We passed in this chamber robust bipartisan security assistance, the U.S. united the leaders of the west, and for years we succeeded in turning Putin into a pariah.

But today, on this third anniversary of Putin’s war, Donald Trump is turning his back on the values that America stands for, of democracy, of security, and of liberty.

Instead of standing up to Putin, Donald Trump is siding with him and against our own allies.

Instead of condemning Putin’s lies, Donald Trump is parroting Russian misinformation and propaganda, in defiance of all evidence, without regard to any facts, and with utter contempt for the truth.

Today President Trump met with President Macron.

President Macron is advising Donald Trump not to show weakness – not to show weakness – to Putin at this pivotal moment.

Donald Trump should heed President Macron’s warning or else Putin is going to eat his lunch, and America is going to suffer in the long term.

American support of a pro-western democracy under attack is not charity. It’s about our own long-term security.

For Donald Trump to show weakness to Putin today is to endanger America’s security tomorrow.

If history tells us one thing about autocrats, it’s that their hunger is never satiated. It’s never enough. They will keep going one way or another until they are halted.

What are Poland and Latvia and Lithuania and Estonia supposed to think about Putin’s belligerence next door to them?

What is NATO supposed to make of Donald Trump’s eagerness to deal with autocrats instead of our own allies?

If Donald Trump sells out democracy in Europe today, what will Donald Trump sell out tomorrow? Democracy in America? Our national security, which he’s already starting to do?

The way Donald Trump is engaging with Vladimir Putin right now is not going to make America any safer in the long run.

This all goes back to a pattern that we’ve seen from Donald Trump from the very beginning.

He has always admired autocrats, strongmen, and bullies—always shown contempt for the rule of law, for truth, for accountability, for facts—because his ultimate goal is to skew things in favor of the wealthy and corrupt few at the expense of everybody else.

Just like his push for taxes, Just like his empowering DOGE, Donald Trump’s modus operandi is to trample on safeguards and basic accountability—values central to any free democracy—in order to allow corrupt billionaires, the wealthy few, and cronies to fill in the void.

This is exactly the world Vladimir Putin wants, and little by little, Donald Trump is helping him make it happen.

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