Congressman Don Young Issues Statement on President Zelensky's Address to Congress
Statement
Today, following Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky's address to the U.S. Congress, Alaska Congressman Don Young issued the below statement:
"The freedom-loving world stands with Ukraine as Vladimir Putin wages his illegal war on sovereign and innocent Ukrainians. I want to thank President Zelensky for the bravery and leadership he has shown in the face of tremendous violence. I am grateful that he took the time to address Members of Congress amid this crisis, and I hope my colleagues took his urgent message to heart. In his address, President Zelensky pled for greater American leadership and support; I firmly agree we must do more. While crippling sanctions on Russia are helpful, we must also provide the air support, weapons, and equipment necessary to bolster Ukraine's ability to defend itself from Putin's war machine. Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and their freedom -- we can immediately answer President Zelensky's calls for assistance by sending drones and other aircraft, including providing MiGs from American bases. President Zelensky called on Congress to take action against Putin's cronies by closing U.S. waters, underscoring the need for legislation like my BOATS Act. I continue pushing hard for my legislation to ban Russian vessels from U.S. waters and seize the yachts of billionaire Russian oligarchs; I am proud to have secured the BOATS Act's provision banning Russian vessels in U.S. waters as part of the recent Coast Guard reauthorization legislation that was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Following President Zelensky's address today, I call on my colleagues to sign onto my standalone legislation and help get it across the finish line. This is a terrible moment in Europe. Last week, I helped pass the FY 2022 omnibus, which included nearly $14 billion in aid for Ukraine. This was a positive step, but with thousands of innocent civilians already killed, we must continue to put partisanship aside and strengthen our support for Ukraine in its fight against Putin's violence."
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