The United States and the rest of the world continue to take steps to speak out against and condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of H.Res. 956, by a vote of 426-3. The resolution, co-sponsored by Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN), addresses "Supporting the people of Ukraine."
Rep. Spartz also joined Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Wednesday as well for a press conference on the Senate resolution.
.@LindseyGrahamSC & I held a press conf. on the Senate resolution supporting investigations at The Hague into war crimes & crimes against humanity committed by the Russian Armed Forces & military commanders at the direction of Putin against the Ukrainians.https://t.co/41zEabwT9P pic.twitter.com/rv3QhiXX6K
— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) March 3, 2022
Further, the congresswoman made headlines for her powerful message as she passionately condemned Putin's actions of "genocide" against Ukrainians, echoing the language Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had used days before when calling on the world to do more to stop Putin. Spartz revealed that she did not prepare a speech, but rather was "talk[ing] from my heart."
In calling out Putin's "genocide," Spartz condemned his actions of "a crazy man who cannot get over that Ukrainian people do not want socialism, Soviet Union, communists. They want to be with the United States of America. They want to be free people and they want to be with the west and he cannot get over it."
She went on to share how her 95-year old grandmother is in Moscow, as well as harrowing stories of women and children being killed with illegal weapons. A recent update from the United Nations recorded 752 civilian casualties.
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— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) March 1, 2022
"This is not a war. This is a genocide...and we have a President that talks about and talks about and doesn't do things. What is he going to do? Wait, when millions die, then he’s going to do more? " - @RepSpartz on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/PXIihOgXAT
Rep. Spartz had a powerful message for President Joe Biden as well, though. "And then we have a president that talks about, talks about and doesn't do things. And you know, what is he going to wait for, millions have died, then he's going to do more?" She continued to urge that "we have not just a moral duty," but "we are the leaders of the free world" and warned that "this is going to be the biggest genocide ever that this world has experienced."
She referenced the sanctions that the Biden administration, and the rest of the world have imposed on Putin and Russia, which tend to come from Biden after someone else has already acted. For instance, Biden announced sanctions on Nord Stream 2 last week after Germany had done so. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also announced direct sanctions on Putin and other Russian officials after the European Union had done so.
"They need to understand we're serious about the sanctions," Spartz stressed. "And I can tell you one thing. If we don't stop him there," she said about Putin, "he is not going to stop, he is going to go further, and then we'll have to send our children to die to fight this," she said.
"So I think we have an obligation and duty to save this world, help the Ukrainian people to survive, and this president needs to get his act together and exercise some leadership. What's happening under his watch is an atrocity. What he's doing to this country and this world is unforgivable. But I think we'll get together as Republicans and Democrats but he must act decisively fast, or this blood of many millions of Ukrainians will be on his hands too."
The United Nations took steps as well on Wednesday, during a rare special emergency session that began on Monday. In a resolution signed onto by 141 countries, and sponsored by 90 countries, demands that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
Last week, the U.N. Security Council had also voted on a resolution to condemn Putin's invasion. But, as Matt had highlighted, Russia had vetoed the measure. In addition to condemning Putin's "genocide," Zelensky has called on the U.N. to remove Russia from the Security Council, where it has such veto power.
On Tuesday, Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), as well as Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) introduced a joint resolution urging the Biden administration to remove Russia from the Security Council.