WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13), chair of the Caucus Peace and Security Taskforce, issued the following statement in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
“The Progressive Caucus stands with the Ukrainian people and the international community in condemning the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This war of aggression is a blatant violation of international law, despite Putin’s baseless justifications.
“As the United States continues to weigh the scope of its response, we urge the Biden administration to be guided by two goals: to avoid dangerous escalation that is all too easy in the chaos of war, and to ensure we are minimizing harm to civilians.
“We applaud President Biden for rightly saying there can be no military solution to this conflict, and wisely committing to not deploying U.S. troops. We reiterate, alongside our colleagues, that the President must seek Congressional authorization pursuant to the War Powers Resolution before any U.S. troops deploy into areas or situations where there is a risk of imminent hostilities.
“The goal of any U.S. sanctions should be to stop the fighting and hold those responsible for this invasion to account, while avoiding indiscriminate harm to civilians or inflexibility as circumstances change. We urge the United States to continue the work toward diplomatic solutions, including at the United Nations, to urgently secure an immediate ceasefire, provide humanitarian assistance, and facilitate support for refugees.
“Today, our thoughts are with those who have already and will suffer the greatest harm from Putin’s aggression: the people of Ukraine in the direct path of this violence, and the people of the Ukrainian diaspora who are living with the immeasurable fear for their loved ones and homeland. Progressives are ready to assist the State Department and all resettlement agencies in supporting our European allies and welcoming refugees seeking shelter in the United States.
“We — the United States, our allies and partners, and the people and government of Ukraine — will stand together until this latest act of Russian aggression is ended, and we will work in partnership for its swift conclusion.”
