Some GOP senators join Democrats in urging Trump to adopt hard line with Putin

As President Donald Trump prepares for an expected meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, he is facing some pressure from within his party to take a tough approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Three Republican senators joined five of their Democratic colleagues in issuing a statement Thursday that described Putin as a “ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace” and who “cannot be trusted.” It decried Russian attacks on Ukraine that continued over the Christmas holiday.

The statement was signed by Republican Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. It did not criticize Trump’s handling of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and it was not joined by the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, a close Trump ally, nor by most of the GOP members on that committee. (Risch’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.) Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the committee, led the statement.

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Still, the statement took a harsher tone toward Putin than Trump has often used. Although Trump has at times berated Putin on social media, urging him to stop his military assault on Ukraine, he has also boasted about their positive relationship, saying he gets along well with the Russian leader. He has repeatedly threatened severe sanctions on the Russians to urge them to make peace, but he has followed through only occasionally.

“It bears repeating that President Zelenskyy agreed to a Christmas truce, but Putin declined, yet he directs soldiers to continue to commit brutal crimes of aggression on one of Christianity’s holiest days,” said the statement, which was also signed by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and by Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Chris Coons of Delaware, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, said senators in the party had displayed “time and time again” that they were more skeptical of Putin than the president “might be inclined to be.” The statement appeared to be aimed at offering Zelenskyy bipartisan support at a crucial moment, Conant said.