Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) said on Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the global support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion was like when the world rallied around the United States after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
When asked about reports Ukraine has agreed to a meeting with Russia, Portman said, “I think Ukrainians know how to do it, and they also know to be distrustful of whatever the Russians say since everything Vladimir Putin has said and other Russian officials has been propaganda, disinformation. So they need to be careful. By the way, Belarus is where they wanted to have the meeting. Belarus is under the control of Russia, and Belarus is now aiding and abetting the Russians attack on their neighbor Ukraine.”
He continued, “Our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people. This is something where the American people are standing firmly with Ukraine, and there are many rallies around the country today in support of Ukraine. I’ll be at one in Cleveland, Ohio, this afternoon. Around the world, you see this, including in Russia. The world is standing up in ways that, frankly, I haven’t seen this kind of unity since 9/11. I think that is something that will, in the end, be very helpful, but we’ve got to provide more military assistance. We’ve got to tighten up the sanctions further.”
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