A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has reaffirmed Congress’s support for Ukraine during a virtual meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as senior Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen accused the Trump administration of providing Russia with a financial lifeline and failing to hold Moscow accountable for its continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the meeting underscored strong bipartisan backing for Ukraine in Congress despite disagreements with the White House over its approach to Russia’s war.
“I appreciated the opportunity to speak with President Zelenskyy today about Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Putin’s brutal war,” Shaheen said in a statement.
“Time and again, Congress has sent an unmistakable and overwhelmingly bipartisan message that America stands with Ukraine and against Putin’s aggression.”
The senator sharply criticized the Trump administration’s handling of sanctions against Moscow, accusing it of allowing Russia to benefit financially while failing to take sufficient action over attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
“Yet, the Trump Administration continues to give Putin a financial lifeline and avoids holding him accountable for killing Ukrainian civilians,” she said.
Shaheen singled out what she described as Trump’s Russian diesel deal and the administration’s refusal to enforce sanctions previously enacted by Congress.
“From Trump’s disastrous Russian diesel ‘deal’ to refusing to impose sanctions Congress passed into law, this Administration is aligning itself on the wrong side of this war,” she said.
The senator pledged to work with Republican and Democratic colleagues in both chambers of Congress to pursue accountability for private companies involved in the diesel arrangement, as well as entities she said were facilitating human rights abuses against Ukrainian civilians through restrictions affecting Starshield.
Shaheen did not provide further details in the statement about the companies potentially facing scrutiny or the specific measures lawmakers might pursue.
She stressed that any diplomatic effort to end the war should focus on increasing pressure on Moscow rather than forcing concessions from Kyiv.
“Putin only responds to strength. We must increase pressure on Russia not Ukraine and give Ukraine the support it needs to secure a just and lasting peace,” Shaheen said.
The virtual meeting also included Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and other lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The discussions came amid continued Russian strikes on Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure.
According to Shaheen’s office, overnight Russian ballistic missile attacks targeting Kyiv and its infrastructure left approximately 550,000 households without electricity.
The latest exchange highlights continuing support for Ukraine among lawmakers from both major US political parties, even as differences persist between members of Congress and the Trump administration over sanctions enforcement, economic pressure on Moscow and the level of American assistance to Kyiv.
The statement reflects mounting pressure from lawmakers seeking a tougher US response to Russia’s invasion, with Shaheen arguing that stronger sanctions and sustained support for Ukraine are essential to achieving a just and lasting peace.
