10.06.23

Durbin Meets with Leaders from Chicago's Ukrainian-American Community

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today met with leaders from Chicago’s Ukrainian community to discuss the United States’ continued support for Ukraine, including the urgent need to pass additional funding to aid Ukraine after the 45-day bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government failed to do so, which he spoke about on the Senate floor earlier this week.

“Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine has inflicted immeasurable suffering on its people, but it has also exposed the unbreakable spirit of a nation determined to preserve its independence and democracy,” said Durbin. “In order to ensure the Ukrainian people can continue to sustain their courageous defense against Russia’s brutal assault, we must—without any further delay—pass legislation that ensures their homeland has the robust support it desperately needs.”

On Wednesday, Durbin, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) led five other Senators in a letter urging U.S. Senate and House leaders and the Chair and Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committees to immediately advance legislation that will provide critical and sustained security and economic support for Ukraine.

Durbin has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in the Senate. Earlier this year, Durbin sent a letter to President Joe Biden once again urging his Administration to support the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the atrocities committed in Ukraine. Durbin and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) previously wrote to President Biden in March to emphasize the urgency of aiding the ICC’s investigation into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, which the Administration agreed to do so in July. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Durbin, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Graham introduced the bipartisan Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act – which updates the current war crimes statute to enable prosecution of war criminals in the United States regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or victim. The bill was signed into law by President Biden.  Durbin-authored legislation restricting U.S. recognition of any forcibly annexed areas of Ukraine by Russia also passed as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act and was included again in the Senate-passed FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

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