Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. AYOTTE. Madam President, I come to the floor to, first of all, thank President Poroshenko for the speech he gave to a joint session of the Congress today. It was a very moving speech. I think it was a very direct speech, and it really showed how important it is that we stand with the people of Ukraine during this trying time with the aggression they are facing from Russia.

I come to the floor to say a couple of things. At the end of his speech, he used the motto of my home State--the State of New Hampshire: Live Free or Die. In New Hampshire we are very proud of that motto. It came from a statement during the American Revolution from General John Stark, and it really does not only have meaning to my home State of New Hampshire but also to the people of Ukraine with what they have been facing--those who stood in the Maidan and gave their lives for freedom and democracy in Ukraine.

I have had the privilege of going to Ukraine twice, both in March and also to oversee their presidential elections. In both instances, I was very struck by the patriotism, by their love for America, and their gratefulness for our support.

As we heard President Poroshenko say to all of us today, now more than ever they need American support. There is something I have been calling for--for a while, in fact. When I went there in March--and also I had the privilege of traveling with Senator Donnelly--it was a bipartisan codel--and also in May, in both of those instances we had the request for lethal assistance so that the Ukrainian military would have the arms they need to defend themselves against this Russian aggression.

So today we also heard President Poroshenko call upon us again to provide the support for the Ukrainian military. They have fought and continue to fight and die for their own independence, freedom, and territorial integrity. The least we can do is provide them lethal assistance.

As President Poroshenko rightly said today: Blankets and night vision goggles are important, but one cannot win a war with a blanket.

I would hope all of us stood together today, both Democrats and Republicans, to say we stand with the people of Ukraine.

I know this afternoon the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has come together and marked up a very important aid package to Ukraine which contains lethal assistance for their military.

I would hope our President would see that on a bipartisan basis we stand with the people of Ukraine and we must provide them with this assistance they need.

Finally, I would say that the Budapest Memorandum that President Poroshenko mentioned today is very important.

We were a signatory to that memorandum, as was Russia. In that memorandum, the signing of it, Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons in exchange for our assurances that we would respect their sovereignty, security assurances, and their territorial integrity. Obviously, Russia has trampled all over this. But I would say the least we can do is provide this lethal assistance they have asked for given that they gave up their nuclear weapons.

We signed on to that agreement. We should support them in their time of need so that they can defend their sovereignty. What country ever again is going to give up their nuclear weapons if we will not even give them basic military assistance when their country is invaded the way Ukraine has been invaded by Russia?

Now is our time and our moment. We all stood together in the House Chamber today for the people of Ukraine. What matters is our actions, not just our words and our standing ovations.

I hope we will stand with the people of Ukraine. I call upon our President to provide lethal assistance to the people of Ukraine and to provide the support and tougher sanctions on Russia--economic sanctions--for their invasion and their total disrespect for the sovereignty of the country of Ukraine.

I would defer to my colleague, Senator McCain from Arizona.

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