Maksym Filipenko 🏳️‍🌈

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy need not, and must not, have any deal forced upon him by any outside nation that does not guarantee the security and the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people, the people who elected him with over 73% of the popular vote, in an election that was recognized as free and fair by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where I served as a Commissioner and Congressional Appointee. Russia has never held such elections. President Zelenskyy, and all negotiators, need to know this: There is an outcome-determinative number of Members of the United States Congress, from both parties and in both Chambers, who are ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to prevent Communist Dictator Vladimir Putin from being rewarded for his illegal invasion, raping, kidnapping, torturing and murdering of the Ukrainian people, including so many women and children. We will use every lever and every vote at our disposal, regardless of the personal or political consequences. This matter is that time-sensitive and it is that existential. It is legacy-defining. We all want an immediate end to this brutal Russian invasion and killing. For a peace agreement to be fair and lasting, it must be done in a way that holds the Russian invaders accountable, protects the dignity of the Ukrainian victims, and provides for fair and equitable cost-sharing amongst all European nations. To do otherwise would be to encourage future invasions and to perpetuate future heartache and bloodshed. This is about Peace Through Strength. This is about Patriotic Common Sense. And Patriotic Common Sense is what America must always stand for.