Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a moderate Republican, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should not be forced to accept any peace agreement with Russia that falls short of his country’s demands.
“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy need not, and must not, have any deal forced upon him by any outside nation that does not guarantee the security and the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people,” Fitzpatrick wrote in a statement on X.
“We all want an immediate end to this brutal Russian invasion and killing,” Fitzpatrick added. “For a peace agreement to be fair and lasting, it must be done in a way that holds the Russian invaders accountable, protects the dignity of the Ukrainian victims, and provides for fair and equitable cost-sharing amongst all European nations.”
“To do otherwise would be to encourage future invasions and to perpetuate future heartache and bloodshed,” he continued. “This is about Peace Through Strength. This is about Patriotic Common Sense. And Patriotic Common Sense is what America must always stand for.”
The statement comes as President Trump has sharpened his attacks on Zelensky in recent days, sparking concerns among lawmakers and foreign allies that Trump appears to be aligning more closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A testy back-and-forth has quickly escalated after Ukraine was left out of talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, drawing a rebuke from Zelensky.
Trump responded Tuesday with unfounded allegations that Zelensky “started” the war, with the Ukrainian leader responding Wednesday that the U.S. president was living in a “web of disinformation.”
Trump took to Truth Social hours later, calling Zelensky a “dictator without election” who was doing a “terrible job.”
Fitzpatrick pushed back on this claim, noting the Ukrainian people elected Zelensky “with over 73% of the popular vote, in an election that was recognized as free and fair,” adding, “Russia has never held such elections.”
He also reaffirmed Congressional support for Zelensky, saying a majority of Congress stands with Zelensky and will “do whatever it takes” to see Putin held accountable.
“President Zelenskyy, and all negotiators, need to know this: There is an outcome-determinative number of Members of the United States Congress, from both parties and in both Chambers, who are ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to prevent Communist Dictator Vladimir Putin from being rewarded for his illegal invasion, raping, kidnapping, torturing and murdering of the Ukrainian people, including so many women and children,” Fitzpatrick wrote in his statement.
“We will use every lever and every vote at our disposal, regardless of the personal or political consequences. This matter is that time-sensitive and it is that existential. It is legacy-defining,” he continued.
