Senator Blumenthal: Trump needs new envoys, as the current ones are acting in Russia's interests
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed concern that US President Donald Trump is pushing Ukraine to quickly sign a peace agreement without security guarantees. In his opinion, negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are acting impartially and are effectively taking Moscow's position. with a comment by Blumenthal to ‘Suspilne’.
Blumenthal said that the peace proposals appear one-sided and contain demands only for Kyiv without any real concessions from Russia.
He stressed that Ukraine should not make territorial concessions and lose military aid, which is necessary to protect itself from Russian aggression. The senator believes that Trump needs to change his envoys and review his approach to the negotiations.
He also called on Congress to push forward initiatives to recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for the mass abduction of Ukrainian children, as well as to strengthen economic sanctions. Blumenthal criticised Trump's statement about the need for immediate elections in Ukraine, considering it an attempt to appease the Kremlin.
Senator Jean Shaheen added that Ukraine should not be pressured to sign a peace agreement. In her opinion, Russia only responds to force from the US and Europe, so it is necessary to increase arms supplies and impose secondary sanctions.
Republican Markwayne Mullin said he supports any steps that will force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, but he prioritised the cessation of hostilities.
Against the backdrop of the discussions, the EU reiterated that Volodymyr Zelensky is the legitimate president of Ukraine and that elections should only take place when the conditions of war allow.
