June 3, 2025

The top Democrats in the US Senate on Monday sharply criticized President Donald Trump for failing to firmly support Ukraine against Russia, amid the Kremlin’s continuing refusal to engage in serious peace talks, Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent reports from the Capitol Hill.

The move came as Russian and Ukrainian representatives met for a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, but with no progress toward ending the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin still refuses to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, nor is he willing to accept US-backed ceasefire proposals.

“Putin is a clear villain and a bully. So where is Donald Trump’s backbone? Where is his conviction? Where is that toughness he likes to project?,”  Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the minority leader, said in a speech.

Sen.  Dick Durbin (D-IL), the number two Democrat in the Senate, agreed. “The whole world is watching the United States to see if you will stand firm against Putin,” he said addressing Trump.

“Putin is not our friend, and is not a friend of the United States. Mr. President, you do not want our legacy to be appeasement and surrender to Russia and a weakening of our transatlantic security,” Durbin added.

As for Istanbul talks, the senator suggested, “I wish I could say I was surprised that Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to attend [Istanbul meetings], but I wasn’t. Anyone following this war can clearly see that Vladimir Putin isn’t serious about ending this bloody conflict which he started.”

The White House said on Monday that Trump supports continued negotiations and may be open to a potential leaders-level summit “if it comes to it”.

“This war has been brutal from both sides and too many people have died. The president wants this war to end at the negotiating table and he has made that clear to both leaders both publicly and privately,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

In Istanbul, Russia presented terms during the negotiations that highlighted its refusal to compromise on its longstanding war goals. The Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for barely an hour on Monday and agreed to exchange more prisoners of war and return the bodies of 12,000 dead soldiers.

The move also comes amid ongoing bipartisan efforts in the US Congress, with legislators from both the Democrat and Republican parties pushing Russia Sanctions Bill, authored by top Republican Lindsay Graham (R-SC)

For Sen. Schumer, “the single best thing President Trump can do to strengthen Ukraine’s hand right now is to show that the US stands firmly behind them and squarely against Russia.”

“But so far, Trump has not done that. Frankly, senators from both sides of the aisle are getting tired of Donald Trump’s wishy-washy approach to Putin. If Donald Trump won’t stand up to him, the Senate must,” he said.

Durbin, in his part, went on to claim that Sen. Graham and other Republicans wanted to move the “Russia Sanctions bill” forward in the Senate, but they “keep getting asked by the White House to wait.”

He then added: “We cannot wait any longer. Innocent people are dying because of Putin’s aggression. Russian assaults on Ukraine have continued with attacks during the first quarter this year – even worse than last year, and Trump seems unwilling to do what is necessary to force Putin to the table.”

Addressing the Senate floor, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the chamber’s majority leader, weighed in saying that “we stand ready to provide President Trump with any tools he needs to get Russia to finally come to the table in a real way.”

“President Trump has invested considerable time in working to end the bloodshed in Ukraine, but Vladimir Putin appears more interested in prolonging the war than in pursuing peace,” Sen. Thune concluded.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/53827