Menendez, Booker Of NJ Condemn Putin For Ukraine Invasion

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey’s U.S. senators are both condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in an ongoing military conflict in the Ukraine that has reportedly claimed dozens of lives.

Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker have issued statements about the invasion, with Menendez saying that his “heart is heavy” for the people of Ukraine, and Booker calling the military action “illegal and unprovoked.”

Read their full statements below.

Russian troops launched a broad assault on Ukraine from three sides Thursday, an attack that brought explosions before dawn to the country's capital, Kyiv, and other cities. Ukraine's leadership said at least 40 people had been killed so far in what it called a "full-scale war" targeting the country from the east, north and south, the Associated Press reported.

The invasion of Ukraine followed a series of failed diplomatic efforts, NPR reported. It marks the largest military attack of one state against another on the European continent since the Second World War, Fox News stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere in Ukraine would "lead to consequences you have never seen in history."

• Read More: Here’s What To Know As Russia Attacks Ukraine
• Read More: NJ Cardinal On Ukraine-Russia: 'Reject War As Political Solution'

BOB MENENDEZ: ‘DARK MOMENT OF UNCERTAINTY’

Sen. Menendez, who serves as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement shortly after news of the invasion broke:

“Tonight, my heart is heavy for the people of Ukraine. As we pray for them in this dark moment of uncertainty, it is clear that history will prove Vladimir Putin’s decision to sacrifice the lives of countless Ukrainians and Russians was made out of fear—fear of allowing a neighboring independent, sovereign nation to pursue democracy and freedom.

“This unprovoked attack has brought into sharp focus the need to expel the current Kremlin leadership from the international community. Today must mark a historical shift in how the world views and deals with the despot in Moscow.

“The United States and our allies have successfully galvanized an international coalition to counter Russian aggression; now we must refuse to stand by and watch innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children suffer. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am committed to ensuring that the United States upholds our responsibility to exact maximum costs on Putin, the Russian economy, and those who enabled and facilitated this trampling of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“Ukrainians are a resilient, determined people. We know that they will stand up for their country and their freedom. And we will continue to stand with them. But tonight, our prayers are with an entire nation, young and old, who refuse to let a tyrant use military might to impose his will on Ukraine.”

CORY BOOKER: ‘ILLEGAL AND UNPROVOKED’

Sen. Booker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on Thursday:

“Just five years ago I visited Ukraine to meet with the nation’s leaders to discuss the urgent threats they faced from ongoing Russian aggression. I found a hopeful, resilient people determined to build a free, prosperous nation that is a part of the international community, and I was lifted then as I am now by Ukrainians’ fierce commitment to democratic ideals like liberty and self-determination.

“President Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion is putting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people at grave risk. This unjust attack threatens the international rules-based order, which has helped to ensure peace and promote security in Europe. In these dark hours, the United States and our allies will stand with the freedom-loving people of Ukraine who share our most fundamental ideals.

“We will hold Putin and the Kremlin accountable for this outrageous violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. I strongly support the enactment of broad and severe international sanctions targeting Putin, the Russian economy, and those individuals and entities that are supporting and enabling the Russian military’s invasion. We are united with Ukraine, its people, and our NATO allies in our determination to counter Russia’s aggression and its attack on an independent, democratic nation.”

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