GOP lawmakers sound alarm over Trump’s Ukraine strategy

Republican lawmakers are sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s pointed refusal to blame Russia for starting the war in Ukraine, and they are highly skeptical about negotiating any lasting peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom some describe as a war criminal.

The Republican criticism of President Trump’s strategy for ending the war in Ukraine comes after the United States voted with Russia and its allies, such as North Korea and Belarus, against a United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression toward Ukraine and calling for the withdrawal of its troops from the country.

While GOP senators were willing to grant Trump broad deference on his controversial Cabinet nominees, they are doubling down in blaming Russia for starting the war and warning the president to approach Putin warily in any negotiation.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) blasted the American opposition to the U.N. resolution condemning Russian aggression.

“Yesterday’s vote by the U.S. against the U.N. resolution was shameful,” she said Tuesday.

The measure, which received the backing of NATO allies, passed the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly despite the U.S. opposition.

The United States instead backed a resolution that called for immediate peace in Ukraine but made no mention of Russia’s invasion for starting the conflict.

Collins said she agreed with Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) statement marking the third anniversary of the war, in which the former Senate GOP leader said refusing to blame Russia “as the undeniable and unprovoked aggressor” in the conflict “reflects a gross misunderstanding of the nature of negotiations and leverage.”

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said he was “deeply troubled” that the U.S. voted Monday with Russia and North Korea and against traditional allies such as Britain and France, which supported the resolution condemning Russia and calling for a restoration of Ukraine’s borders.

“I was deeply troubled by the vote at the UN today, which puts us on the same side as Russia and North Korea. These are not our friends. This posture is a dramatic shift from American ideals of freedom and democracy,” Curtis said in a post on social media.

He warned that any end to the war “must be achieved on terms that ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security” and “deter” Putin from future territorial aggression.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of Russia’s “unprovoked war on Ukraine.”

“We all want this senseless war to end, but ending it on Russia’s terms would be a devastating mistake that plays right into Putin’s bloody hands,” Murkowski posted on social media.

She later noted Trump has “the authority” to pursue a peace deal but warned that any such deal would be “unacceptable” if Putin sets the terms.

“The president clearly has the ability, has the authority to be negotiating. But I think many of us have suggested that negotiating peace on Putin’s terms is not acceptable,” she told reporters.

Some of the strongest pushback in the conference came from McConnell, who now leads the Senate’s Appropriations defense subcommittee.

“America is right to seek an end to this war, but an end that fails to constrain Russian ambition, ensure Ukrainian sovereignty or strengthen American credibility with both allies and adversaries is no end at all. Instead, such a hollow peace would invite further aggression,” he said in a statement Monday.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he “disagreed” with the U.S. vote against the resolution condemning Russian aggression.

“Putin is a murderer who’s ordered the systematic capture, kidnapping, rape and torture of countless numbers of Ukrainians,” he said. “That would have been my vote recommendation.”

He argued Putin can’t be trusted to uphold any peace deal, a warning echoed by other GOP lawmakers.

“Putin’s a liar and looking for the next opportunity to continue [Russia’s] march through Moldova and the west Balkans and everything else,” he warned.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was “trying to understand” why the administration would oppose a resolution condemning Russia for the war.

“I’m trying to understand the negotiating strategy. I can imagine this was a strategic vote in order to negotiate a hasty and expeditious outcome to a horrible war,” he said. “I will withhold judgment or further comment until I learn more about that.”

But he said there’s no question that Russia is the aggressor in the war.

“I agree that Russia is the aggressor. I’m acknowledging it, and so many members of Congress are acknowledging that,” he said.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), speaking on the Senate floor, said Trump’s refusal to call out Putin as the aggressor has undermined U.S. leverage heading into the peace talks.

“The United States should have been willing to say this was an illegal war unjustly initiated by Russia. If you’re unwilling to state a truth, you begin in a very weak position,” he warned.

Other Republican senators pushed back on the reluctance of some high-ranking Trump administration officials to blame Russia for sparking the conflict three years ago.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a “Fox News Sunday” interview told host Shannon Bream “it’s a very complicated question” when asked if it would be fair to say Russia attacked Ukraine without provocation.

On Tuesday, Stephen Feinberg, the co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management whom Trump has nominated to serve as the Pentagon’s No. 2-ranking official, declined to assign blame to Russia during his Senate confirmation hearing.

“I don’t feel that I should publicly comment in the middle of tense negotiations when I’m not privy to the facts,” he said when asked by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to confirm that Russia indeed invaded its neighbor.

Trump last week suggested Ukraine was primarily responsible for the war but later walked back his comment.

The president said last week that Ukraine “should have never started the war” but later modified his statement by acknowledging “Russia attacked.”

Trump stirred some concern among defense hawk Republicans by refusing to call Putin a dictator when asked Monday about his comments last week calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator without elections.”

“I don’t use those words lightly,” he said when asked whether he views Putin as a dictator.

Several Republican senators Tuesday, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), avowed that Russia is solely to blame for the conflict.

“We’re not confused about the facts. That is a fact,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said “Russia’s clearly the aggressor.”

He pointed to quote from the 1946 Nuremberg Trials International Military Tribunal he had posted on social media in response to the U.S. voting against the U.N. resolution condemning Russia.

“To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole,” it read.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally and prominent voice on national security issues, said “Russia is the aggressor.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) last week rejected Trump’s lenient view of Putin, telling CNN in an interview that the Russian president is a “war criminal who should be in jail for life.”

On Tuesday, Wicker told CNN that “it’s clear to most Americans that this war was started by Vladimir Putin’s aggression” dating back as far as 2014, when Russia invaded and seized Crimea.

“It seems to me that multiple administrations have not been as firm as we should have been,” he said.

Topics

Gov. Lujan Grisham sounds alarm on Medicaid cuts in House GOP budget plan

While President Trump insists he won't touch Medicaid, his agenda in Congress tells a very different story. The House is set to vote on a spending plan that could cut Medicaid funding by hundreds ...
CBS News - 1d
The Memo: GOP divides emerge over Trump’s handling of Musk, Ukraine

President Trump is only beginning the second month of his second term but divisions are already erupting. The friction is so obvious that Democrats, having been pummeled by their election loss last ...
The Hill - 1d
Trump's Ukraine policy alarming European leaders

There is alarm in Europe as leaders try to come to terms with the major foreign policy shift on Ukraine from the Trump administration. This week President Trump blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion ...
CBS News - 5d
GOP lawmakers confronted by constituents angry about Trump-Musk cuts

Republican lawmakers have faced backlash at town halls and other events in their districts in recent days.
CBS News - 4d
‘A true free-speech emergency’: alarm over Trump’s ‘chilling’ attacks on media

Warning comes as FCC, chaired by Trump ally and Project 2025 author, orders investigations into US media groups. The Trump administration is waging a “disturbing” attack on the freedom of the ...
The Guardian - 2d
The Memo: Trump’s jabs at Ukraine divide GOP

President Trump ratcheted up his attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, deepening the first real schism of his second term within the GOP. Appearing on the "Brian Kilmeade ...
The Hill - 4d
Trump and Europe Clashed Over Ukraine

Also, the virtuoso Roberta Flack died at 88. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
The New York Times - 1d
12:30 Report — GOP at odds over Trump’s agenda

{beacon} 12:30 REPORT Welcome! It’s a beautiful day in Washington. Spring is so close I can feel it. 🌸 Today's forecast in DC: ⛅ 56° (Find your weather here). In today's edition: Trump’s agenda ...
The Hill - 21h
Republican leaders seek ‘united’ GOP funding strategy as shutdown looms

Politico - 11h
DOGE need to be more 'targeted' and 'thoughtful' with cuts, says GOP lawmaker

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss how House Republicans plan on passing a budget resolution containing President Trump’s tax and spending priorities.
NBC News - 1d
Watch live: Progressive lawmakers speak on GOP's budget reconciliation hopes

The Congressional Progressive Caucus will give remarks Tuesday morning on the GOP-led budget resolution, which Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is hoping to bring to a floor vote in the afternoon. ...
The Hill - 1d
Alarm over Musk's latest demands for federal employees

Elon Musk posted on social media about federal workers having to document their work or risk losing their jobs. This comes as more details emerge about USAID worker firings and as Musk persists on ...
CBS News - 2d
An anti-Trump strategy: Never wrestle with a pig

The anti-Trump strategy of the Democratic politicians and media has been ineffective, with Trump thriving on the attacks and the media's focus on his opponents.
The Hill - 4d
Republican lawmakers show displeasure of Trump’s mass firings

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist to discuss new polls on Trump's approval rating that have dipped below 50 percent and the growing outrage over mass layoffs.
NBC News - 3d
US air base in Italy locked down for hours over security alarm

A U.S. air base in Italy went on lockdown for several hours after security forces received word of a possible car bomb targeting the facility
ABC News - 2h
Sanders: Democrats' strategy to combat Trump policies 'not good enough'

Senator Bernie Sanders believes that Democrats need to face a broken political system and address the needs of the working class.
The Hill - 4d
GOP scrambles to win over moderates on budget resolution

Senate passage of a budget resolution designed to execute large parts of President Trump’s policy agenda throws the ball back to the House, where GOP leaders are hoping to move swiftly on ...
The Hill - 2d
The US is destroying climate progress. Here’s a strategy to win over the right | Erin Burns

It’s time to rethink how climate action succeeds. The key is to acknowledge that it’s never the sole force driving political decisions. We are witnessing the most devastating climate disasters on ...
The Guardian - 3h
Watch: White House holds briefing as Trump faces criticism over Ukraine moves

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed the press Tuesday afternoon, as President Trump's proposals to end the war between Russia and Ukraine raised eyebrows. Trump seemingly inched ...
The Hill - 21h
Japan, Philippines agree to deepen defense ties due to mutual alarm over China

Japan and the Philippines have agreed to further deepen their defense collaborations and start talks on an arrangement to protect shared military information in the face of mutual alarm over ...
ABC News - 2d
GOP rep calls US-Ukraine resource deal 'victim extortion'

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said Sunday that forcing Ukraine to agree to a resource deal with the U.S. in exchange for the possibility of support against Russia is akin to “victim extortion.” ...
The Hill - 2d
Trump stuns Senate GOP with House budget endorsement

“Did not see that one coming,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
Politico - 6d
Trump asserts dominance as GOP senators come to heel

President Trump has proven to be a dominant force in politics and other aspects of American life in his first month back in the White House, showcasing how much his influence has grown since he ...
The Hill - 4d
McConnell becomes maverick for Trump, GOP Senate

Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) decision to conclude his storied political career marks the end of an era for Senate Republicans, especially as the longtime GOP leader increasingly signals he’s a ...
The Hill - 4d
Shutdown fight collides with GOP push for Trump priorities

The race to prevent a government shutdown next month is colliding with Republican efforts to enact President Trump’s tax and funding priorities. Congressional negotiators have been struggling for ...
The Hill - 16h
Trump: GOP senator had 'close call' with fall

President Trump weighed in on the recent head injury sustained by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) after he slipped and fell on ice during a trip home, wishing him a speedy recovery but noting the ...
The Hill - 1h
Alarm as bird flu now ‘endemic in cows’ while Trump cuts staff and funding

Experts say current US outbreak is unlikely to end without intervention with further mutation of virus likely. A newer variant of H5N1 bird flu has spilled over into dairy cows separately in ...
The Guardian - 4d
Europe and US clash over Ukraine in G7 and UN

EU and Trump administration differ over blaming Russia in rival draft resolutions
Financial Times - 1d
The Russian over-50s fighting and dying in Ukraine

Grandfathers are among contract soldiers being killed on the front line, data shows
Financial Times - 1d
A DOGE dividend could be a win-win-win for the GOP and Team Trump

With Democrats screaming that the sky is falling every time the Department of Government Efficiency axes one federal worker, Elon Musk’s team needs some good public relations.
The Hill - 5d
GOP's Lawler breaks with Trump on Zelensky, advises against public spat

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) broke with President Trump over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday and advised against a public spat between the two leaders. “Are you disturbed at all by ...
The Hill - 2d
House GOP plan to pass Trump agenda set to face key test

The House GOP’s plan to pass a large chunk of President Trump’s agenda is set to face a key test this week when the conference looks to adopt a budget resolution, which would set the legislative ...
The Hill - 2d
Bongino, Trump’s pick for No. 2 at FBI, ripped GOP senators

Dan Bongino, the radio and podcast host tapped by President Trump to serve as deputy FBI director, has ripped Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) in the past, attacks ...
The Hill - 2d
GOP Kentucky Senate candidate knocks McConnell for Trump 'no' votes

Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), who recently launched a bid for the seat being vacated by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), criticized his fellow Kentuckian for voting against ...
The Hill - 1d
Progressives launch campaign against Trump, GOP tax agenda

Progressives have launched their first organized campaign against Republicans’ tax agenda, urging Democratic lawmakers and activists to fight jointly against what they say will be tax breaks for ...
The Hill - 22h
Budget vote in House tests slim GOP majority in new Trump term

If House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pass the Trump-backed budget plan, which includes trillions in tax cuts, he can only afford to lose one Republican vote. However, multiple GOP lawmakers have ...
CBS News - 15h
House GOP adopts Trump budget after topsy-turvy night

House Republicans adopted the budget resolution that will lay the foundation for enacting President Trump's legislative agenda Tuesday night, just minutes after they initially pulled the measure ...
The Hill - 13h
Ukraine or Russia: Whose Side Is Trump On?

Nick asks former UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.
BBC News - 6d
Who Will Stand Up to Trump on Ukraine?

In their silence, Republicans are betraying the Ukrainians, national security and their own party’s values.
The New York Times - 4d