Nice job by Sen. Tim Kaine, even as Republicans are busy selling out democracy, our allies, our own interests, etc.
VIDEO: KAINE SPEAKS ON SENATE FLOOR ABOUT TRIP TO FINLAND AND IMPORTANCE OF NATO
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, spoke on the Senate floor to discuss his trip to Finland, one of the newest NATO members. During Kaine’s trip—which coincided with the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine—he attended Arctic Forge 25, a joint exercise between the Karelia Brigade of the Finnish Army and the Virginia National Guard. Kaine also met with the Finnish President, the Finnish Foreign Minister, and other government officials to reaffirm U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine following President Trump’s remarks blaming Ukraine for starting the war with Russia and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections.”
“I rise to describe an amazing journey that I took this weekend—that was a powerful journey connected to my Virginia National Guard and also to issues that are very, very prominent right now in the world,” Kaine said. “We finished voting on the Senate floor a little bit before 5 AM on Friday on the reconciliation bill, and a few hours later, I went to Dulles Airport and flew to Finland.”
“The reason for the visit over the weekend was to see my Virginia National Guard. The Virginia Guard—as most states—are active participants in the State Partnership Program that was established back in the 1990s where a state’s guard unit connects with the military of an allied country and engages in joint training exercises,” Kaine continued. “Once Finland decided to join NATO, Virginia, which already has a partner in the State Partnership Program, reached out and said to Finland, we would like to work with you as well.”
“It was a great trip—too short—but really powerful,” Kaine said. “There was a sobering element to it too…To be in Finland—a nation that had to fight two wars against Russia in the late 1930s/early 1940s to maintain its independence—and to be there with those leaders on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was sobering and thought-provoking.”
Kaine continued, “Finland knows Russia and Russian leadership better than just about anybody… and that memory of fighting two wars against Russia to maintain Finnish independence is still a very present day and palpable memory for the Finns, even though those wars happened in the late 1930s and early 1940s. You can be sure…that our friends, our allies, those we are training together with had some pretty strong thoughts about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the commemoration of the third anniversary.”
During his floor speech, Kaine discussed the United States’ vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that acknowledged Russia invaded Ukraine and called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. The United States also abstained on a vote on its own United Nations General Assembly resolution after European countries successfully amended it to add stronger language in support of Ukraine.
“These Finnish colleagues—who are friends and allies—were pretty candid about their disappointment in the United States for not being willing to state a truth that this war was instigated by Russia,” Kaine said. “They’re puzzled with an American leadership from the President to the Secretary of Defense…that’s unwilling to state that Russia started this war.”
“It takes sacrifice to protect democracy. Our nation is coming up on the 250th anniversary of our democracy—and not only our democracy, but our leadership role in democracies around the globe. The world needs us to continue to stand strong. Our friends like Finland are hoping and praying that we continue to stand strong. It is my belief that in the heart of the American people there is a desire to stand strong,” Kaine concluded.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
