US Congressmen: We’ll Respond to Putin’s Every Single Move

Kyiv, March 23, 2014 – The visit of the United States Congress delegation to Ukraine speaks for solidarity and support by the US to the people and government of Ukraine. Such statement was released by Senator Kelly Ayotte (Republican, New Hampshire), Joe Donnely (Democrat, Indiana) and Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat, Massachusetts) at the press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

“Current developments in Ukraine are of huge importance not only for your country, but also for the United States and the entire world”, – announced Senator Kelly Ayotte. “We saw the evidence of unbreakable fervor of patriotism, courage and strive in the battle for democracy; we felt the readiness of Ukraine’s people to stand for their freedom, liberty and independence”, – she concluded.

In regard to the aggression by the Russian Federation, Senator Ayotte noted: “We have to tell Mister Putin – he must stop. He must stop any further interference in Ukraine’s domestic policy; they [the people of Ukraine] will shape their own future with no intrusion of Russia or any other state”. She stressed that the Senate of the United States has strongly condemned the illegitimate annexation of the Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine’s territory and is to vote on March 24 on a Ukraine aid package that would provide a $1 billion loan guarantee to the country. “Furthermore, I will insist on enhancing military aid to Ukraine. I refer to the supply of the means of communication, equipment, ammunition and everything else which may be within the capabilities of the United States”, – she added.

Kelly Ayotte also supported extensive sanctions against RF: “I’m in favor of decisive and strong actions by the US to immediately stop the intervention. Sanctions are to span the entire spectrum of relations with Russia – including military, financial, energy sectors, and also visa issues”. However she noted that the sanctions are to hit not the Russian people, but selected individuals. Senator Ayotte also emphasized that the world can no longer depend on Russia’s oil and gas dominance and the US must mitigate it by sharing technologies.

Senator Ayotte claims that NATO is to revise its approach towards Russia and step up its military presence in Eastern Europe instead of scraping some of the programs. “This revision has already taken place in Poland, Slovakia and the Baltic States. I will recommend this to President Obama and the Congress”, – she added.

Senator Joe Donnely said he was stunned by the price Ukrainian people had to pay on Maidan for the sake of defending democratic values. “We admire the spirit of this country and the readiness of its people to stand up for its integrity and independence”, – noted the senator. He also voiced his support for further sanctions against Russia. “By his actions, Putin has stirred up the entire continent, the entire world”, – he added.

“We have realized this collective trauma experienced by Ukrainians in their fight for freedom and democracy, – stated the congressman Stephen F. Lynch stressing the importance of US and NATO acting to protect the terms of the Budapest Memorandum . – The Western states must feel their collective responsibility. We understand what is at stake and must stop the threat together”.

Kelly A. Ayotte, American politician, senator from New Hampshire, serving since 2011. Member of the Republican Party. She is also the youngest of the 20 female Senators. She worked as a law clerk for the New Hampshire Supreme Court, as a prosecutor for the New Hampshire Department of Justice, in 2004 appointed as attorney general of New Hampshire. She became New Hampshire’s first woman attorney general.

Joseph Simon “Joe” Donnelly, Sr. American politician, Senator representing Indiana, in office since 2013. Member of the Democratic Party. He began his career serving on the Indiana State Election Board before working as an attorney in practice. In 2011 Donnelly  run for the U.S. Senate, winning the Democratic nomination one year later in an uncontested primary. In 2012 Donnelly defeated Mourdock in the general election, securing 50% of the vote to Mourdock’s 44%.

Stephen F. Lynch, American politician, served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts since 2001, Member of the Democratic Party, previously an ironworker and lawyer, and served in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court. For several years he worked as a lawyer, primarily representing housing project residents and labor unions. Lynch has a reputation of being the most socially conservative member of Massachusetts’s House delegation, and often votes independently of his party leadership.

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