Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue Co-Chairs Costa, Sikorski Issue Statement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine 

The Co-Chairs of the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD), Jim Costa and Radek Sikorski, issued the following statement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

We, the European and American Co-Chairs of the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue, are united in expressing our complete support and solidarity for the people and government of Ukraine in the face of the unprovoked, unjustifiable and criminal attack launched by Putin and his kleptocratic regime.

This is the a catastrophic escalation of a series of ongoing attacks on Ukraine, which the Russian Federation has inflicted in recent years, following illegally occupying and annexing Crimea and fomenting separatist movements in the Donbass. These current actions represent an assault not just on Ukraine and its right to exist as an independent, democratic European nation, but on the whole notion of democracy and a rules-based order.

It is essential that all transatlantic allies rise to the challenge of the moment. As a minimum first step, we call on our governments to enact immediate sanctions that will inflict severe pain on Putin, his cronies and his regime, including banning Russia and Russian companies from being able to use the SWIFT system. We call for close coordination among allies on measures to assist Ukraine as it seeks to defend itself, and to provide economic, humanitarian and military assistance.

We commit to working tirelessly in the European Parliament and United States Congress to defend Ukraine and uphold its cause, which is inseparable from our cause in defending liberal democracy, an international rule based order and human dignity. We intend to hold joint virtual meetings in the coming weeks in addition to meeting in person for the 84th TLD inter-parliamentary meeting in Paris in May 2022.

The Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue supports relationships between members of the U.S. House of Representatives and European Parliament. The inter-parliamentary group meets twice per year, once in the United States and once in Europe. Created in 1999, the dialogue is committed to bipartisanship and focuses on issues of mutual concern between the United States and the European Union: including trade, economic policy, energy and climate policy, data protection, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity. 


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