Senator Gallego introduced a resolution to condemn the U.S.’s vote against UN resolution on Russia
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) gave his first speech on the Senate floor on his resolution condemning the United States’ rejection of a United Nations resolution denouncing Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“Let’s be clear on this: this is a war that Russia started. Ukraine did not ask for it. They did not ask to go to war with a nuclear superpower, and they did not ask for their cities to be reduced to rubble. They didn’t ask for their children to be displaced and families to be torn apart. If Ukraine had its way, this war would have ended years ago,” said Senator Gallego. “What happened at the U.N. puts us on the same side as Russia and North Korea. That’s not just embarrassing, it is dangerous.”
Senator Gallego has consistently stood with Ukraine as it responds to Russia’s aggression. About one month before the war broke out, Senator Gallego, then-Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine and met with Ukrainian soldiers. One year into the war, led a second bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Ukraine. Recently, Senator Gallego spoke about President Trump’s stance on Ukraine on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and also released a video on social media speaking more about the conflict.
Watch Senator Gallego’s speech HERE.
Read the speech below:
“M President,
Three years ago, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, many people, including the experts, believed Putin would crush Ukraine’s democracy in days. They were wrong.
About one month before the war broke out, I traveled to Ukraine with a bipartisan coalition of [members of the] House of Representatives to meet with Ukrainian soldiers. Those soldiers we met knew they were up against the strongest military in the world, but they refused to back down when this came to fighting for their families, their freedom and their future. These soldiers are the reason why, against all odds, Ukraine still stands strong.
Over three years, the scrappy little country of Ukraine has grinded down the second most powerful military in the world. Ukraine is holding the line for democracy, and they are doing it with our support.
But Monday’s vote at the U.N. undermined that and was a betrayal of Ukraine America’s allies, democracy, and everything we stood for as a country.
Let’s be clear on this: this is a war that Russia started. Ukraine did not ask for it. They did not ask to go to war with a nuclear superpower, and they did not ask for their cities to be reduced to rubble. They didn’t ask for their children to be displaced and families to be torn apart. If Ukraine had its way, this war would have ended years ago.
What happened at the U.N. puts us on the same side as Russia and North Korea. That’s not just embarrassing, it is dangerous.
It sent a message to our allies and every other country that relies on the U.S. to stand up to bullies and defend them and help them defend themselves, that America cannot be relied on to call out unprovoked aggression. It told them that they are on their own, that America’s words mean nothing.
If we can’t stand up against these criminals, if we can’t stand up against pariah states like Russia, how can we expect the world to take us seriously as leaders of democracy?
So this is why I’m introducing this resolution.
I urge my colleagues to correct the mistake we made at the U.N. this week, stand with our allies and condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
America does not stand with dictators, and we never will and we shall never.”