WASHINGTON DC – Bipartisan leaders in the US Senate are sending a clear message: Russia is failing in Ukraine, and the US cannot afford to waver.
In a Washington Post op-ed published Monday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the longest-serving former Republican leader, argued that Ukraine has repeatedly exceeded expectations, while Moscow has paid enormous military, economic, and human costs.
“Kyiv is not losing, and Moscow is not winning,” the Senators wrote, adding, “It is up to Washington to match Ukraine’s resolve with the clarity this moment demands.”
The op-ed comes as the war stretches into its fourth year anniversary and as debates intensify in Washington over the scale, timing, and strategic direction of US military and economic assistance.
A senior Senate aide, speaking to Kyiv Post on the condition of anonymity, described the op-ed as “a deliberate effort to send a clear, bipartisan message to the administration: continued support for Ukraine is not optional, it is strategically essential.”
The aide added, “By framing this as both a security imperative and a signal of US credibility, Senate leaders are trying to create momentum in Congress for early, decisive action.”
Putin’s strategy: attrition, not victory
According to the op-ed, Russian President Vladimir Putin is relying on a strategy of attrition rather than battlefield victories.
Moscow has failed to seize Kyiv, consolidate control over major southern cities, or dominate eastern Ukraine, all while suffering staggering human and material losses.
The Senators noted that Russia has lost roughly one-third of its strategic bombers and over one million soldiers and personnel.
Russian oil and gas revenues have dropped by more than 30 percent, and about a quarter of Russian companies are bankrupt or at risk.
Ukrainian forces, by contrast, have shown remarkable resilience despite delays in receiving advanced US and allied weapons.
“Putin is trying to grind down the West and test our resolve,” said a senior Republican aide familiar with Senate defense strategy.
“These Senators are reminding their colleagues that yielding to attrition is exactly what Russia wants – and that we have tools on hand to prevent it,” the aid told Kyiv Post.
Lessons from US hesitation
The op-ed critiques early US miscalculations. In the initial stages of the war, Kyiv requested fighter jets, long-range weapons, and air defense systems – requests that were largely delayed.
The Senators argue that earlier, robust assistance could have tipped the scales in Ukraine’s favor and shortened the conflict.
“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,” the op-ed reads.
A senior Democratic aide called the piece “a strong rebuke of the caution that characterized early US assistance – and a warning that policymakers cannot repeat those mistakes.”
The aide added, “It also sends a signal to Capitol Hill that bipartisan unity on Ukraine is possible – and necessary – if we want to shape the outcome rather than react to it.”
Why US support matters
Beyond immediate battlefield implications, the op-ed frames US support for Ukraine as a strategic investment in long-term security.
Strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities bolsters European allies, reinforces democratic governance, and sustains the US defense industrial base.
The Senators highlighted congressional tools to pressure Russia: tightening sanctions, curbing Chinese support for Moscow, and repurposing frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian reconstruction and defense.
They also called for expanding the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds both Ukrainian defense needs and US military industrial preparedness.
A senior Senate aide in the Republican office told Kyiv Post, “Investing in Ukraine isn’t charity – it’s strategy. It strengthens the US position globally, supports European allies, and ensures that our defense industry remains capable of meeting both current and future threats.”
Rare moment of bipartisan unity
The op-ed represents a rare instance of high-profile bipartisan cooperation in foreign policy messaging.
Shaheen and McConnell warn that abandoning Ukraine – or accepting Russian gains that it cannot achieve militarily – would not bring lasting peace. They frame US support for Ukraine as a broader investment in global security, European stability, and the American defense industrial base.
Senate Foreign Relations leaders – representing opposite ends of the political spectrum – united to signal that support for Ukraine transcends party lines, and that abandoning Kyiv would carry severe consequences for US credibility, European security, and the rules-based international order.
“Rarely do you see Senators of this stature and ideological distance publish a joint op-ed on a matter of such urgency,” said a senior Democratic aide. “It’s a calculated move to preempt a policy vacuum in Washington and make it clear that the path forward is support, not retreat.”
For US policymakers, the message is clear: sustaining and, where necessary, increasing support for Ukraine is not just about the immediate conflict – it is about shaping the balance of power in Europe, deterring future Russian aggression, and signaling to global competitors that the US remains a reliable partner.
As Shaheen and McConnell put it bluntly, the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of support – and Washington can no longer afford to hedge its bets.