“It is more than plausible that the Ukrainians could have achieved a decisive victory and lasting peace if they were simply granted the fighter jets, air defenses and long-range weapons when they initially requested them from President Joe Biden. But American assistance was often too little, too late,” they wrote.

“Fortunately, the opportunity for President Donald Trump to end this conflict on favorable terms for Ukraine, America and the West has not passed,” McConnell and Shaheen continued. “But he must not continue to make the same miscalculation that his predecessor made in 2022.”

The bipartisan appeal from the pair, both of whom are retiring in early 2027 and are heavily involved in foreign affairs, comes amid a continued push by the Trump administration toward a peace deal that’s raised concerns among some lawmakers that a rushed agreement could leave Moscow with a partial victory. McConnell, the former Senate GOP leader, still holds foreign policy sway among his colleagues.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff characterized weekend meetings with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Miami as “productive and constructive.” But there was no indication of a breakthrough that could end the armed conflict that is going on four years since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Particular attention was given to discussing timelines and the sequencing of next steps,” Witkoff wrote in a statement. “Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity.”

But the senators noted a peace deal remains elusive, despite Witkoff traveling to Moscow six times this year and aiding in the Trump-Putin summit this summer, which occurred on U.S. soil in Alaska. Putin has warned of military escalation to gain more land in Ukraine if no peace deal is reached.

“Yet, just as the Russians have barely moved in their ground offensive against Ukraine, they have not moved an inch in negotiations with the U.S.,” McConnell and Shaheen said.

Congress has for months opted not to pass a widely supported Russian sanctions bill led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) due to repeated hiccups among rank-and-file members, GOP leadership in both chambers, and a deference to Trump as the administration pursues its own peace-deal strategy.

“Putin may be playing for time, but he is not dragging out this conflict because it is his preferred tactic,” McConnell and Shaheen wrote. “He is dragging it out because he cannot achieve a decisive victory. He’s hoping that slow, grinding attrition will divide the West.”

The duo cited “an array of bipartisan tools to increase pressure on Putin,” such as efforts to tighten sanctions enforcement, combat China’s support for Russia, and transfer more frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

WITKOFF MAINTAINS RUSSIA ‘FULLY COMMITTED’ TO PEACE TALKS AS KREMLIN SIGNALS OTHERWISE

“It is fair to ask what the U.S.’s endgame should be. Wars end when leverage changes. If the U.S. and its allies want a negotiated end, the only proven, viable path is to strengthen Ukraine’s position, not to weaken it,” McConnell and Shaheen said. “Abandoning Ukraine or granting Russia what it cannot win on the battlefield will not bring lasting peace.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.