The bipartisan committee charged with supporting democracy and human rights in post-Soviet states is pushing for the United States to dump the post-Cold War status quo in its relations with Russia and label Moscow as a “persistent” threat to global security.
The report from the Helsinki Commission, released Wednesday, argues that Washington must reframe its thinking in how it approaches Russia, as it has with China over the past few years, and allocate resources accordingly.
A priority focus of the report’s strategy is to ensure Ukraine’s victory in its defensive war against Russia, calling for “massive” military and humanitarian assistance for Kyiv and allowing Ukraine’s armed forces to strike deep into Russia with U.S. provided weapons.
The report’s policy proposals go further than the Biden administration’s commitments to Ukraine and clash with positions held by former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his allies in Congress.
Trump has long argued the U.S. is spending too much on European security. And he is campaigning on making a deal between Ukraine and Russia through direct negotiations with their leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, the Helsinki committee’s Republican chair, Rep. Joe Wilson (S.C.), dismissed the potential of Trump striking a deal with Putin.
“No question to me that Donald Trump is going to see the insincerity of war criminal Putin,” Wilson told The Hill in a brief conversation about the report.
“Putin is not anybody that you can reach an agreement with, that would be substantive, that would hold.”
Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has largely outlined a continuation of President Biden’s policy for Ukraine. Ukraine hawks in both parties say the administration has been too slow........