PARSIPPANY, N.J. – In the aftermath of the July 16 meeting in Helsinki between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian World Congress expressed concern that the U.S. leader did not publicly condemn Russia for its multiple transgressions and violations of international law, including its war on Ukraine and downing of a Malaysian Airlines passenger jet.
The UCCA noted that Mr. Trump “demonstrated a shocking ignorance of Russia’s international crimes, failing to condemn the Russian Federation’s continuing war against Ukraine, or to reiterate the United States’ support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’s internationally recognized borders.”
The UWC stated that the U.S. president “made no mention of the numerous blatant violations by the Russian Federation of its international obligations and our most fundamental values,” and called for “the international community to unequivocally demonstrate its support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and further uncover Russian disinformation that undermines the common values of the democratic free world.”
The full texts of the releases from the UCCA (dated July 16) and the UWC (July 17) follow.
UCCA statement
In his joint press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, President Donald Trump stunned the world when he failed to publicly condemn Russia for attacking the United States’ election process. Asked directly if he held Russia at all accountable or responsible for anything in particular, President Trump not only dismissed the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies regarding Russian meddling in U.S. elections, but demonstrated a shocking ignorance of Russia’s international crimes, failing to condemn the Russian Federation’s continuing war against Ukraine, or to reiterate the United States’ support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’s internationally recognized borders. Furthermore, the president did not guarantee that the United States’ sanctions regime against the Russian Federation would be maintained until Russia fully complies with its international obligations regarding Ukraine.
The Ukrainian American community, as do all Americans, look to our commander-in-chief to live up not only to his oath of office in defense of our republic, but to stand in defense of our ideals of liberty and democracy when confronted by a foreign adversary. The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, has spoken out for over 75 years in support of United States authorities executing their duties for the common good of our country.
President Trump’s failure in Helsinki to publicly rebut the excuses of Russia’s military intelligence units were a disservice to the legitimate work of United States law enforcement and intelligence officials, who serve our country proudly. We further voice our support for the law enforcement officials in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, who have exposed Russia’s crimes against their citizens with the use of the Novichok nerve agent in the U.K. and the downing of the commercial airliner MH17 over Ukraine, murdering 298 innocent men, women and children. We echo the words we sent to the president before his departure to Europe: Vladimir Putin is not an ally of the United States.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2014, over 10,000 people have been killed and over 2 million civilians have been displaced – the largest wartime displacement in Europe since World War II. Since 2014, the United States government has spoken with one voice in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and the inviolability of its borders, when it declared as official state policy that the United States will “assist the government of Ukraine in restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to deter the government of the Russian Federation from further destabilizing and invading Ukraine and other independent countries.”
Today, instead of confronting Vladimir Putin, President Trump failed to publicly affirm the United States’ declared support of Ukraine. The UCCA maintains that the national security interests of the United States include the fulfillment of our country’s public and binding security guarantees to Ukraine, and calls on supporters of liberty and democracy to condemn the president’s failure to confront Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Only by standing united with our security alliance partners will we prevail over an enemy that remains the greatest existential threat not only to the United States and Ukraine, but to the entire post-World War II global security structure.
UWC release
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) expresses dismay over the lack of any public condemnation of the Russian Federation by President of the United States Donald Trump during a press conference held after his summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16 in Helsinki, Finland.
During the press conference, United States President Donald Trump made no mention of the numerous blatant violations by the Russian Federation of its international obligations and our most fundamental values, its downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine and the death of 298 innocent people on the eve of the fourth anniversary of this horrible crime, its illegal occupation of Crimea, its invasion of eastern Ukraine, its imprisonment of more than 70 Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar political prisoners, and its detention of over 100 Ukrainian hostages in the Donbas.
Moreover, an important and glaring opportunity was lost to underscore the unequivocal support of the United States of America for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the continuation of sanctions against the Russian Federation until such time that it fully complies with its international obligations.
The UWC supports its member organization, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, in maintaining that the national security interests of the United States include the fulfillment of the country’s public and binding security guarantees to Ukraine and that only a unified security alliance can prevail over Russian hybrid aggression.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls for the international community to unequivocally demonstrate its support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and further uncover Russian disinformation that undermines the common values of the democratic free world,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.