WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), released the following statement on Putin’s announcement that Russia will annex the Ukrainian territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia following the recent illegitimate and unlawful referendums.
“The United States has made clear: we will not tolerate the illegal seizure of Ukrainian land by Vladimir Putin. The sham referenda overseen and enforced by Moscow officials do not represent the will of the people and serve only to further his violent authoritarian regime.
“I strongly support the additional sanctions imposed today by President Biden, and am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to provide the necessary additional funding for Ukraine’s defensive efforts. But we must go further to ensure this behavior is penalized at a global scale. The United States should cut off military and economic aid to any country that recognizes the falsely annexed territories as part of Russia.
“I encourage the international community to join the United States in rejection of Putin's claims of Ukrainian sovereign territory, so that he is held fully accountable for his continued violation of international law.”
For more information, contact Nora Kohli at nora.kohli@mail.house.gov.