U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) published an op-ed in The Washington Post discussing the current state of Russia’s war on Ukraine. The senators recalled that in February 2022, as Russia invaded Ukraine, the Biden administration projected a rapid fall of Kyiv. According to McConnell and Shaheen, “Kyiv, they said, would fall in weeks, if not sooner.” However, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian advances and prevented Moscow from establishing control near the capital.
The senators noted that after nearly four years of conflict, Russia has suffered significant losses: about a third of its strategic bombers and over one million casualties. They stated that equipment losses for Russia continue at higher rates than for Ukraine. “Pundits who predicted a quick Ukrainian defeat were wrong in 2022, and they are wrong today,” they wrote.
McConnell and Shaheen criticized what they described as excessive caution by the Biden administration regarding military aid to Ukraine. They argued that providing fighter jets, air defenses, and long-range weapons earlier might have allowed Ukraine to achieve a decisive victory: “It is more than plausible that the Ukrainians could have achieved a decisive victory and lasting peace if they were simply granted the fighter jets, air defenses and long-range weapons when they initially requested them from President Joe Biden. But American assistance was often too little, too late.”
They also expressed concern that this hesitation weakened U.S. credibility among global rivals such as China, Iran, and North Korea: “In prolonging Putin’s aggression, this hesitation also gave China, Iran, North Korea and other nations working together to undermine American interests new reasons to doubt our credibility and strength.”
Looking ahead to potential policy under President Donald Trump’s administration, the senators urged against repeating what they saw as past mistakes: “Fortunately, the opportunity for President Donald Trump to end this conflict on favorable terms for Ukraine, America and the West has not passed. But he must not continue to make the same miscalculation that his predecessor made in 2022.”
Addressing recent developments on the battlefield — specifically claims about Pokrovsk — McConnell and Shaheen wrote: “Administration officials say that the ‘fall’ of the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is a bellwether for what’s to come for Ukraine. Yet, Pokrovsk…has yet to fall.” They emphasized heavy costs for Russia with limited territorial gains.
On economic impacts inside Russia due to sanctions and attacks on energy infrastructure, they highlighted falling oil revenues by over 30 percent and increasing financial strain leading to bankruptcies among Russian companies.
The senators warned against negotiating with Russia from a position of weakness or abandoning support for Ukraine: “Abandoning Ukraine or granting Russia what it cannot win on the battlefield will not bring lasting peace.” They asserted that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Donbas into other former Soviet territories.
Regarding congressional action in support of Ukraine, McConnell and Shaheen referenced bipartisan measures including tougher sanctions enforcement through Senate committees; restrictions on Chinese support for Russia; authorization of transferring frozen Russian assets; recent Trump administration sanctions targeting Lukoil and Rosneft; increased investment in defense initiatives such as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative; all aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s military position.
They concluded by stating: “Putin is betting the U.S. will talk itself into believing Ukraine cannot succeed. The past four years show the opposite…Kyiv is not losing, and Moscow is not winning.”
Jeanne Shaheen represents New Hampshire as a Democrat while Mitch McConnell serves Kentucky as a Republican; both are members of the U.S. Senate.
