Senate Republicans who have maintained support for Ukraine during its war with Russia are saying that President Donald Trump's talks with Russian officials are simply preliminary, Punchbowl News reported.
Trump in recent days has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Ukraine started the war with Russia.
Republican senators are wary the administration will negotiate a lopsided deal that favors Russia and want Ukrainian and European leaders to be at the negotiating table, which Trump opposes, Punchbowl said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Punchbowl, he disagrees with Trump and thinks Ukraine should have a role in negotiations to end the war.
"They were invaded by Putin and he's responsible for murder, rape, torture, kidnapping of an untold number of Ukrainians. They've got to be at the table."
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said to Punchbowl that Putin should not be trusted in any negotiation.
Putin is "a war criminal who should be in jail for the rest of his life, if not executed," he said.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Punchbowl that Ukraine did not start the conflict with Russia.
"I will simply make one statement: Russia attacked Ukraine," Rounds said to Punchbowl.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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