1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The decision to pursue fruitless negotiations with Russia at the expense of our allies has jeopardized American credibility and emboldened Putin's aggression. By siding with Russia's maximalist demands and forsaking our commitment to Ukraine and NATO, this administration has undermined our national security interests. Russia will not agree to a genuine ceasefire as long as it believes it can extract further concessions through military force. The path to peace lies not in appeasement, but in robustly supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself and increasing pressure on the Kremlin until the futility of its war aims becomes undeniable. A firm stance upholding our alliance commitments and democratic values is imperative to deter further escalation and prevent a wider conflagration from erupting. Continued military, economic, and diplomatic assistance to Kyiv must be our foremost priority.