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There should be no question that the American people stand strongly with the people of Ukraine. But Joe Biden has continued to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s requests for assistance with weakness and delay, restricting Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory and resist Russia’s invasion.  

 During Zelenskyy’s address before Congress, he called on President Biden to be "the leader of the world." Unfortunately for Zelenskyy, Ukraine, the United States and the world, Joe Biden’s lack of leadership has meant war through weakness, instead of peace through strength.  

Republican conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik,

Republican conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks with reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Nov. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

While Zelenskyy is inspiring the world and rising to the challenge of a catastrophic crisis in his country, the Biden administration has been far too slow, not only in its implementation of sanctions, but in its lack of complete sanctions on Russian energy and businesses. 

RUSSIA'S PUTIN IS LOSING IN UKRAINE – BEWARE GREATER DANGERS THAT LIE AHEAD

The Biden administration actually lobbied against crippling sanctions on Russia that could have deterred the invasion of Ukraine. In May 2021, Joe Biden handed Putin a geopolitical gift when he waived sanctions on the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.  

This came on the heels of the week-long gas shortage because Russian hackers shut down the Colonial Pipeline in the U.S. Instead of holding Russia accountable, President Biden met with Putin in June and gave him a list of critical infrastructure that he reportedly said should be "off-limits" from Russian-backed cyberattacks. In all likelihood, Biden handed Putin a target list. He had many opportunities to hold Putin accountable and show strength, but Biden abysmally failed and handed Putin multiple wins.   

Biden has played directly into Putin’s hands. 

Biden once promised that he could gotoe to toe with Vladimir Putin. However, since he took office, Joe Biden sold out American energy independence to our adversaries and threatened our national security. Biden has played directly into Putin’s hands. 

And Putin is not alone. Our adversaries around the world have been assessing and measuring Joe Biden's abysmal failures on the world stage, especially since Biden's catastrophic withdrawal and surrender in Afghanistan. Now, Europe is facing the most significant national security crisis since the end of World War II. The world is in chaos because Biden is incapable of leading, creating a vacuum that Vladimir Putin is hoping to fill.  

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Biden should have taken swift and devastating actions to cripple the Russian economy and imposed severe, irrecoverable consequences on Putin's corrupt regime a long time ago. Instead, his delayedban on Russian oil came far too late.  

Predating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, House Republicans have been united in advocating for strong, tough sanctions for months. And we stand strongly in support of making sure that the weapons and ammunition needed get to the Ukrainian people as quickly as possible. 

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Our nation stands proudly with the Ukrainian people and their relentless courage against a bloodthirsty thug as they defend their sovereign nation. Peace can prevail, but it will only endure if the United States and NATO work together and respond with strength. 

It is clear the United States can and should do more to support our Ukrainian partners. We must end any delay in providing Ukraine with the lethal aid, including MiGs, and the swift humanitarian support they need. The United States must also use every lever of economic power to cripple the Russian economy through tougher sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector. 

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