Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress this morning, making another emotional plea for American support in the war against Russia and Vladimir Putin. Orlando Representative Val Demings, who is currently running for U.S. Senator, responded to the address from President Zelenskyy and called for taking more action against Putin and his allies.
“President Zelenskyy has exemplified the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people and it was an honor to hear from him this morning,” Rep. Demings said. “America must always stand for freedom and democracy, which is why last week I voted for military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Though we have forced historically strong sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his corrupt regime, they must be stronger. I’ve led efforts in Congress to target Putin personally and I again call for additional sanctions to target all of Putin’s political allies, cripple his personal wealth and hold him responsible for this unforgivable war of conquest.”
President Zelenskyy referenced the Pearl Harbor attack and the terrorism of September 11th in his address, He received several standing ovations from the members of Congress, which should put additional pressure on President Joe Biden to do more. Zelenskyy once again asked for a no-fly zone over Ukraine as well as more weapons, sanctions and humanitarian aid. The address also included a graphic video showing the absolute destruction and death in Ukraine caused by Russian forces.
President Biden is expected to announce another $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, which Rep. Demings would seemingly support. This could come up in the upcoming Florida Senate race. Senator Marco Rubio has previously stated he is against a no-fly zone in Ukraine because it would lead to World War III. “I think there are a lot of things we can do to help Ukraine protect itself,” Senator Rubio added. Sen. Rubio does now call it an “evolving” situation though, and he says he wants President Biden to do more.
Meanwhile, Rep. Demings condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, praised sanctions against Russian assets, and voted to sanction Russian oil imports. She also previously pushed to target Putin and his oligarchs with additional sanctions and seize their assets in Florida and overseas, building from her work on legislation to investigate and expose Putin’s illicit financial networks.
Previously Rep. Demings introduced the Defend Against Russian Disinformation Act with Reps. Ted Lieu and Elise Stefanik, which would strengthen federal cybersecurity, support intelligence gathering, and enhance NATO military activities to counter Russian influence and interference. Two provisions from the bill were passed as part of the FY18 National Defense Authorization Act.
Rep. Demings also led the Vladimir Putin Transparency Act, directing the U.S. intelligence community to report to Congress regarding the financial assets and hidden networks used by Russian President Vladimir Putin. That bill, which was vetted by bipartisan national security experts, recommended investigating the financial assets and networks of the Russian ruling class. Provisions from the bill were included in the FY2020 NDAA, which was signed into law.
