Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine:

       “The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has no justification nor basis whatsoever in international law and is a horrific affront to the country’s sovereignty and its freedom-loving citizens.

       Tragically, the legitimate democratic government of Ukraine—which its people fought so hard to establish—hangs in the balance as credible reports indicate that Russia has made significant military advances into Ukrainian territory.

       Regrettably, President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan—and abandonment of fellow Americans and U.S. allies behind enemy lines—likely empowered Putin and other brutal dictators by sending the message to all of America’s enemies that they could pursue such aggression without significant pushback from the Biden Administration.

       Now Europe and the world teeter on the brink of another catastrophic war, justified only by Putin’s mistrust of freedom and his desire to rebuild the borders of the Soviet Union—an empire that itself was built on the blood of innocent people.

       As many look to Ukraine, we must also be vigilant of other attempts by Putin to incorporate more countries into a reconstituted Soviet empire—especially and including Kazakhstan, where Russian security forces entered in January on yet another 'peacekeeping mission' in a former Soviet state. 

       We cannot forget Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its 2008 invasion of Georgia—where I helped secure the safe return of two young girls from my district and several others stuck behind enemy lines.

       The United States must stand firmly with the people of Ukraine now more than ever in this hour of great peril and ensure that Putin pays the price for his crime of aggression.”

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