Watch Video Here

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered a speech on the floor of the United States Senate commending President Trump and his administration for their work toward peace in Ukraine. In his speech, Sen. Wicker strongly condemned Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for his lack of good faith in peace negotiations and his attacks on civilians.

Read Senator Wicker’s speech as delivered.

I come to the floor today to add my voice to the many who are commending President Trump as he works toward peace in Ukraine.  The president has given the aggressor, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, every chance to put down his guns and end the killing – and he’s done that over and over.  But our president is now showing that he will not wait on Mr. Putin forever.

Every time Ukraine and the United States have extended the hand of peace, President Putin has responded with aggression.  With one hand, Vladimir Putin always makes a show of participating in peace talks.  With the other, he has repeatedly bombed civilians – a clear war crime – a war crime- including just on Sunday, of last week, Palm Sunday when he bombed worshipers and children playing on a public playground.

On Saturday, day before yesterday, the president took Mr. Putin to task for this brutality, and I commend the President for doing that.  The President said and I quote, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns, over the last few days.  It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently.” End quote. Thank you, Mr. President for saying that.

One of the president’s staunchest supporters in this body echoed that statement the just yesterday.  Senator Kennedy, of Louisiana said and I quote, “Putin thinks that America has taken the bullet train to Chump Town.”

The president is right, and Senator Kennedy of Louisiana is right.  There is one man to blame for this war.  If Vladimir Putin put down his guns, there would be no more war.  If Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine put down their guns, there would be no more Ukraine.  That is a simple truth, and I appreciate the President for pressing that forcefully.

And then today, General Jack Keane, a very respected observer, and an officer and official in the institute for the study of war expressed essentially the same sentiments as Donald Trump expressed the day before yesterday, and as Senator Kennedy expressed yesterday.

On Fox News this morning, General Keane gave the president due credit for pursuing peace in Ukraine.  The general noted that President Trump understandably seems to be running out of patience with Putin’s intransigence.  I know that many members of this chamber are running out of patience too. General Keane then asked a simple question: Which side has shown that it wants a peace deal?  Both sides claim they want peace, but what is the evidence?

And here is the truth. The truth is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown he is interested in peace.  He has negotiated at length with the administration.  Ukraine and its president agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.  Vladimir Putin rejected the idea.  Instead, Putin initiated an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, and then he immediately violated that agreement – Mr. Putin did. 

Worst of all, throughout the so-called peace talks, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly taken the lives of non-combatant civilians and pummeled residential neighborhoods with bombs.  Every statement Mr. Putin makes should be viewed through that lens.

President Trump is right: Too many people are dying.  And that includes the Russian people, who are also suffering.  The Russian people do not deserve to live under a vicious, larcenous, trillionaire president-for-life like Vladimir Putin.  So far, only one side has worked to end the violence.

This weekend, the Trump administration set a timeline for Vladimir Putin to choose peace, and I commend them for it.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio who said the President will decide soon whether Putin is interested in actually working toward a just end to the war. 

All signs indicate that the answer will be “no.”  The real answer, from Vladimir Putin will be “no.” . Just this morning, the Russian Foreign Ministry published words straight from the mouth of Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.  In no uncertain terms, this high-ranking Russian official rejected President Trump’s peace deal. 

So this is a pivotal week.  I look forward to the president’s decision, and I would remind him, and my fellow colleagues:  Putin cannot be allowed to drag the United States along. 

The United Staes Senate is ready to back President Trump as he stands up to Putin on a bipartisan basis.  Fifty senators – 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats – recently introduced a bill called the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. Who says there’s not bipartisanship in the Senate?

25 Republicans and 25 Democrats have introduced legislation that will introduce primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and against actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, imposing real consequences on Putin if he continues refusing to engage in good faith talks with Ukraine and the United States – and he’s never engaged in any talks that were of good faith.

Putin repeatedly bombs civilians.  He has forged a trail of broken promise.  He, and only he, chose – unprovoked – to start the largest war in Europe since World War II.  Putin and only Putin did that.

Where in any of this has there been a showing of good faith?  On Saturday, the president suggested that Putin quote “has to be dealt with differently.” Unquote.  I applaud this.  My Senate colleagues applaud this.  Experienced military professionals like General Keane applaud this.  The president has been exceedingly patient, but he is correctly stating that there should be an end.  It is time to treat Putin like the deceptive, cunning war criminal he is.