Washington, D.C. –  Today, following the commencement of Russian military action against Ukraine, Alaska Congressman Don Young issued the following statement:

“Freedom-loving people everywhere have long known Vladimir Putin to be an authoritarian thug. Overnight, he continued his attacks on Ukraine’s sovereignty by commencing unprovoked all-out war. In some ways, this is a new era for authoritarianism in Europe; Putin is carrying out traditional warfare on the ground, but is also engaged in 21st Century cyberwarfare. Make no mistake: he may be waging his unprovoked war with new technologies and capabilities, but his goal of restoring the former Soviet Union piece by piece is nothing new. The fact is, we have seen this coming for years — his illegal actions in Crimea in 2014 were just the beginning. This is our time to stand with the Ukrainian people for peace, democracy, and self-determination.

America doesn’t back down from dictators, and we won’t start now. Our second-to-none military, vast availability of natural resources, and committed team of international allies must now stand together to face Putin’s aggression with courage and resolve. Finally, we must not forget that other authoritarian aggressors, notably China’s Xi Jinping, are taking note. The actions we take against Putin must send a message of zero tolerance to the Chinese Communist Party and their own desires to choose violence over diplomacy. America is a country of liberty, and we are proud to support the Ukrainian people as they resist this needless violence. We pray for the innocent lives that have and will be taken by Putin’s aggression.”

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