House Progressives Denounce Russian Aggression, Demand Diplomacy

Progressive lawmakers in the U.S. House joined human rights organizations, anti-war groups, and thousands of Russians in vehemently condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine Thursday and called on the Biden administration to avoid further harm to Ukrainians as the U.S. responds.

"The Progressive Caucus stands with the Ukrainian people and the international community in condemning the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This war of aggression is a blatant violation of international law, despite Putin's baseless justifications," said Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), chair of the Caucus Peace and Security Task Force, in a statement.

"Our full attention must be to de-escalate, withdraw troops, create a ceasefire, and to protect the Ukrainian people from further harm so they may remain safely in their homes and communities."

"As the United States continues to weigh the scope of its response, we urge the Biden administration to be guided by two goals: to avoid dangerous escalation that is all too easy in the chaos of war, and to ensure we are minimizing harm to civilians," they added.

Warning that the invasion "could still escalate to something much more devastating," Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), in a separate statement, called on the administration to "continue to support diplomacy even as it becomes more difficult."

The progressives' comments came as President Joe Biden gave his first public address since Putin's forces waged a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, taking control of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, striking multiple cities, and reportedly killing dozens of people.

Biden announced on Thursday aggressive new sanctions against Russian oligarchs and banks--freezing "every asset they have in America"--in a bid to pressure Putin to end the attack on Ukraine, stopping short of sanctioning the Russian leader himself.

Omar and other progressives applauded the targeted sanctions while warning against imposing economic measures that would affect ordinary Ukrainians or Russians.

"I will continue to oppose broad-based sanctions that would amount to collective punishment of a Russian population that did not choose this," said Omar. "I am heartened that the Biden administration has included humanitarian exemptions and general licenses to the first tranche of sanctions, but I am also aware that exemptions and licenses have never been sufficient to prevent indiscriminate human suffering."

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) acknowledged in a statement that while Putin is clearly "intent on rejecting diplomacy," the Biden administration and the international community must "create conditions that may require Russia to engage in diplomacy that would result in an immediate ceasefire, at minimum."

"Our full attention must be to de-escalate, withdraw troops, create a ceasefire, and to protect the Ukrainian people from further harm so they may remain safely in their homes and communities," said Bowman.

Progressives in Congress noted that Putin's attack on Ukraine has already forced thousands of people from their homes, with refugees arriving in a number of central European countries late Thursday--in some cases, after traveling by foot.

"As always, the countries immediately bordering Ukraine will face the greatest burden," said Omar. "The United States should lead by example and begin to resettle refugees here as soon as it becomes necessary."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) echoed Omar's call on Twitter, saying the U.S. must "prepare for a refugee crisis on a massive scale."

"We can't lose sight of the people on the ground that will suffer most as a result of war and violence," added Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).

Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, and Bowman were among 43 House members who signed a letter to Biden earlier this week demanding that the president take no military action against Russia without authorization from Congress, in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.

"The American people, through their representatives in Congress, deserve to have a say before U.S. troops are placed in harm's way or the U.S. becomes involved in yet another foreign conflict," the lawmakers wrote.