Congresswoman Betty McCollum Statement on Ukraine Military Aid Pause

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement in response to the decision by President Trump to suspend all military aid to Ukraine:

“President Trump’s decision to halt military assistance to Ukraine will lead to disastrous consequences if it is not immediately reversed,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The United States is an indispensable partner when it comes to supporting the Ukrainian people’s struggle to defend their democracy and their sovereignty from President Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion of their nation. If President Trump continues to halt assistance to Ukraine, not only will it put President Zelenskyy in a far weaker negotiating position with the Russians, but it could even lead to a catastrophic collapse of Ukrainian defensive positions. Ukrainian civilians will continue to die, and more children will be torn away from their families. This is unconscionable, especially as our European and NATO allies are working on a plan to ramp up their assistance to Ukraine, provide them with long-term security guarantees, and put President Zelenskyy in a stronger position to negotiate an end to a war that was started by Vladimir Putin. As the leader of the free world, the United States is better than this. President Trump should reverse his terrible decision immediately.”