As 150,000 Russian troops bear down on Ukraine's borders, the U.S. Senate is offering Ukrainians something to help face their "dark hour" after failing to pass an aid bill that had been languishing in the chamber for weeks: words.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; their top deputies, Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and John Thune, R-S.D.; and the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Armed Services, Banking, Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees released a statement Tuesday afternoon extending a "bipartisan message of solidarity and resolve to the people of Ukraine, and an equally clear warning to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin."
The statement was meant to present a united front on supporting Ukraine -- but it comes after senators have struggled to reach a bipartisan deal that would send military aid and other concrete forms of support to Kyiv while it is staring down the possibility of an imminent Russian invasion.
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The partisan disagreement centers on sanctions, particularly over the Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline known as Nord Stream 2, and sanctions on Russian banks that could have ripple effects across Europe.
But the impasse has also doomed proposals with bipartisan support that could offer tangible help to Ukraine, including more funding for weapons and other military aid and a lend-lease program to quickly arm Ukraine with a promise of repayment later.
Despite a lack of agreement on sanctions, the bipartisan statement released Tuesday vowed that any Russian invasion would be met with "the immediate imposition of strong, robust and effective sanctions."
"Make no mistake: the United States Senate stands with the people of Ukraine and our NATO allies and partners most threatened by Russian aggression," the statement said. "Our troops stand ready to reinforce the defenses of our Eastern European allies, and we are prepared to respond decisively to Russian efforts to undermine the security of the United States at home and abroad."
But even as they released what was meant to be a bipartisan show of support for Ukraine, senators continued to snipe at each other over an actual bill.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and 33 fellow Republicans released a bill Tuesday dubbed the Never Yielding Europe's Territory Act, or the NYET Act, a play on the Russian word for "no." Risch said in a statement the bill "sends a powerful deterrent message" to Russia.
The GOP bill included areas of bipartisan agreement, such as the lend-lease program, $500 million for military aid and $270 million for more U.S. military exercises in Europe. But it also included the Nord Stream 2 and banking sanctions opposed by Democrats.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., responded to Risch's bill by decrying Republicans who have "decided to choose partisan posturing instead of working to reach consensus."
Nonetheless, Menendez expressed hope that "there is still time to reach a bipartisan agreement so the U.S. Congress can help impose the swiftest and harshest of responses for any unprovoked, unjustified actions by Russia."
While Congress hesitates, U.S. troops continue to flow into the region to bolster NATO allies worried a war in Ukraine could spill into their countries. On Tuesday, hundreds of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were preparing to deploy to Europe as part of the 6,000 U.S. soldiers being sent to Poland, Romania and Germany amid the crisis.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday some of its troops would be pulling back from the Ukrainian border, but later Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said U.S. analysts had seen no signs that was true.
"An invasion remains distinctly possible," Biden said in a speech from the White House.
-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.
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