1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Putin's war in Ukraine. The war was supposed to be over in days, but the Ukrainian people have held out – at the cost of some 600,000 Ukrainian and a over a million Russian casualties. Wars of aggression are crimes under international law, and in 2023 the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin for the crime of aggression and for crimes against humanity. Earlier, in 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the creation of an international tribunal to look into the crimes of aggression by Russia. Around the world, sanctions are in place in hopes of reducing Putin's ability to continue the war. Putin faces arrest in 125 countries around the world – sadly the United States is not one of them. But in the United States we see a different story in our headlines: "With ‘Tremendous’ Deals at Stake, Trump Is Bringing Russia in From the Cold" (New York Times, online edition, 19 February 2026). It is sickening to contemplate the calculus that weighs crimes against humanity against "tremendous deals" and somehow manages to come out on the side of "tremendous deals." President Trump has apparently decided that the price of his soul can be measured in dollars or rubles. There can be no capitulation to Putin. There is no deal so "tremendous" that it is worth abandoning the people of Ukraine to Putin's aggression and Trump's self-aggrandizement. Congress must find a way to stop President Trump as he once again cowers before a dictator. President Trump has no interest in, or respect for the lessons of history. He may think it is possible to appease Putin and achieve peace by selling out the people of Ukraine and everyone around the world who stands with them. He is wrong. Putin will see Trump's weakness and will be emboldened by it. When the President is a coward, Congress has no choice but to be courageous. It is time for you to act.