Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined with Senate Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in bashing “concessions” required by President Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace deal.
Tillis signed onto a statement with Sens. Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in voicing skepticism with the proposed peace deal. Their statement comes one day before leaders from the U.S., Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the peace proposal.
“We share significant concerns over the details of the reported peace plan that has been released. For over 10 years, Russia has illegally occupied Ukrainian territory and for almost 4 years, Ukraine has admirably defended itself against Russia’s attempts to fully occupy Ukraine. No one wants a just and lasting peace more than the Ukrainian people,” the senators said.
“However, we will not achieve that lasting peace by offering Putin concession after concession and fatally degrading Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. History teaches us that Putin only understands strength and will not abide by any agreement unless it is backed by force,” they continued. “We must consult closely with our Ukrainian and NATO partners on the path forward. We should put real pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table. And we must make clear to the Kremlin—and would-be aggressors in Beijing—that America will stand unwaveringly in defense of freedom.”
Other senators also voiced skepticism about the plan. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent Trump ally, voiced restrained concern about the deal Saturday morning.
“While there are many good ideas in the proposed Russia-Ukraine peace plan, there are several areas that are very problematic and can be made better. The goal of any peace deal is to end the war honorably and justly – and not create new conflict,” he said in a post on X.
Graham slightly changed his tone in another statement about five hours later, expressing confidence in Trump.
“I am confident that President Trump, in seeking peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, will do so by pushing both parties. But at the end of the day, he will ensure that Ukraine will be a free, sovereign nation with a strong ability to defend itself from future aggression. Too much has been sacrificed for any negotiation to lead to any other conclusion. We must all remember that how this war ends is being closely watched and cannot entice future aggression by others,” he said in another post on X.
The senators aren’t alone in their concern. A joint statement signed by 14 of Ukraine’s allies also voiced concerns, describing the peace proposal as a first draft that requires more work.
“We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work,” the statement read. “We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable. We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”
UKRAINE ALLIES VOICE CONCERNS OVER US PEACE PLAN AS NEGOTIATORS DESCEND ON GENEVA
The peace plan was first revealed on Tuesday, including terms such as a commitment by Ukraine to not join NATO, the ceding of the entire Donbass region, a freezing of the frontlines in Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts, a cap on the size of Ukraine’s military at 600,000 soldiers, and the reintegration of Russia into the global economy. The U.S. gave Ukraine a Thanksgiving deadline to accept the deal or lose U.S. support.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the ultimatum as one of the most difficult decisions in Ukraine’s history.