{"id":2523974,"date":"2025-12-22T13:42:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T18:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-and-shaheen-take-bipartisan-whacks-at-biden-and-trump-over-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T13:44:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T18:44:03","slug":"mcconnell-and-shaheen-take-bipartisan-whacks-at-biden-and-trump-over-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-and-shaheen-take-bipartisan-whacks-at-biden-and-trump-over-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"McConnell and Shaheen take bipartisan whacks at Biden and Trump over Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmcconnell-and-shaheen-take-bipartisan-whacks-at-biden-and-trump-over-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2523974&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. Mitch McConnell (R\u2011KY) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D\u2011NH) wrote an op\u2011ed urging President Trump to renew robust U.S. support for Ukraine and avoid repeating what they call former President biden&#8217;s overly cautious approach to providing fighter jets, air defenses and long\u2011range weapons. They argue that earlier, stronger assistance might have enabled a decisive Ukrainian victory and that weakening Ukraine to secure a negotiated end would not produce lasting peace. The senators, both influential on foreign policy and retiring in early 2027, caution against a rushed peace deal that could leave Moscow with a partial win as the Trump administration pursues talks brokered by envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/imminent-radiological-threat-chinese-nuclear-plant-leaking-china-releasing-gas-on-surrounding-area-french-company-warns-u-s-government\/\" title=\"\u2018Imminent Radiological Threat\u2019: Chinese Nuclear Plant Leaking, China Releasing Gas On Surrounding Area, French Company Warns U.S. Government\">held multiple meetings<\/a> with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts and helped arrange a Trump\u2011Putin summit, but McConnell and Shaheen say progress remains limited while Putin warns of further escalation. they call for bipartisan measures to increase pressure on Russia-tighter sanctions enforcement, countering China&#8217;s support for Moscow, and transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine-arguing that strengthening Ukraine&#8217;s leverage is the proven path to a negotiated end.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">McConnell and Shaheen take bipartisan whacks at Biden and Trump over Ukraine strategies<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2449119\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A bipartisan duo is calling for renewed U.S. support for Ukraine and taking shots at the Biden and Trump administrations&rsquo; handling of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia-ukraine-war\/\">war with Russia<\/a> amid American efforts to broker a peace deal.<\/p>\n<p>Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\">Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jeanne-shaheen\/\">Jeanne Shaheen<\/a> (D-NH) urged President Donald Trump in a <em>Washington Post<\/em> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2025\/12\/22\/putin-russia-trump-war-ukraine\/\">op-ed<\/a> published Monday not to fall victim to believing Ukraine can&rsquo;t win and that former President Joe Biden&rsquo;s &ldquo;excessive caution&rdquo; in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russian-official-says-us-peace-efforts-are-exhausted\/\" title=\"Russian official says US peace efforts are &#039;exhausted&#039;\">sending long-range weapons<\/a> and fighter jets delayed crucial military assistance that could&rsquo;ve ended the prolonged conflict long ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3926453\/john-thune-looks-beyond-healthcare-affordability-message\/\">Thune looks beyond healthcare to tackle affordability message<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4074510\/north-carolina-audit-roy-cooper-hurricane-recovery-claims-2026-senate\/\">Roy Cooper&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >hurricane rebuilding efforts challenged<\/a> by audit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3918782\/trump-biden-confirmations-nuclear-senate-rule\/\">Trump laps Biden in confirmations&nbsp;after &#8216;nuclear&#8217; Senate rule change<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; they wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Fortunately, the opportunity for President Donald Trump to end this conflict on favorable terms for Ukraine, America and the West has not passed,&rdquo; McConnell and Shaheen continued. &ldquo;But he must not continue to make the same miscalculation that his predecessor made in 2022.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>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&rsquo;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.<\/p>\n<p>White House envoy Steve Witkoff <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SEPeaceMissions\/status\/2002826320615444873?s=20\">characterized<\/a> weekend meetings with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Miami as &ldquo;productive and constructive.&rdquo; 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.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Particular attention was given to discussing timelines and the sequencing of next steps,&rdquo; Witkoff wrote in a statement. &ldquo;Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine&rsquo;s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Baabda, in east of Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 26, 2025, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), right, speaks at the annual Fancy Farm picnic Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Fancy Farm, Ky. (AP Photos\/Hussein Malla\/Mark Humphrey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>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 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3924770\/putin-warns-military-escalation-ukraine-gain-more-land-if-no-peace-deal\/\">warned of military escalation<\/a> to gain more land in Ukraine if no peace deal is reached.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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.,&rdquo; McConnell and Shaheen said.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Putin may be playing for time, but he is not dragging out this conflict because it is his preferred tactic,&rdquo; McConnell and Shaheen wrote. &ldquo;He is dragging it out because he cannot achieve a decisive victory. He&rsquo;s hoping that slow, grinding attrition will divide the West.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The duo cited &ldquo;an array of bipartisan tools to increase pressure on Putin,&rdquo; such as efforts to tighten sanctions enforcement, combat China&rsquo;s support for Russia, and transfer more frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4342551\/witkoff-russia-fully-committed-to-peace-kremlin-signals-otherwise\/\">WITKOFF MAINTAINS RUSSIA &lsquo;FULLY COMMITTED&rsquo; TO PEACE TALKS AS KREMLIN SIGNALS OTHERWISE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is fair to ask what the U.S.&rsquo;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&rsquo;s position, not to weaken it,&rdquo; McConnell and Shaheen said. &ldquo;Abandoning Ukraine or granting Russia what it cannot win on the battlefield will not bring lasting peace.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The White House did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>McConnell, Shaheen urge stronger US backing for Ukraine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2523975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/shaheen-mcconnell-e1766426969101.jpg?1766409003&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3620,53089,69235,3634,6991],"class_list":["post-2523974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-biden","tag-mcconnell-2","tag-shaheen","tag-trump","tag-ukraine"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/shaheen-mcconnell-e1766426969101.jpg?1766409003&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523974"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2523978,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523974\/revisions\/2523978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2523975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}