Marco Rubio bill pushes back on Russian attempt to annex Ukrainian territory

As the Russian Federation eyes annexing Ukrainian territory via purported referendums, a Florida Senator stands in the way as part of a bipartisan push back.

Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is teaming up with Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois on legislation that would just say no to any attempts at annexation of Ukrainian soil by the Moscow regime.

The legislation is urgent, given that these votes will start as early as Friday in disputed territory, including Luhansk, Kherson and the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

The Non-Recognition of Russian Annexation of Ukrainian Territory Act would formalize into law U.S. rejection of any Russian Federation claim of territory currently recognized as part of Ukraine by the international community. This includes land, air and water.

Consistent with that end, the legislation would also block any federal agency from taking any action or extending assistance that would further Moscow’s territorial goals.

“There is no amount of propaganda or political scheming that can change the reality of what is happening in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is the real aggressor in this war, and he is attempting an unjustified takeover of a sovereign, democratic country,” Rubio contended.

“The United States cannot recognize Putin’s claims or we risk establishing a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party, to imitate,” he added.

“Putin’s threatened sham referendums reek of desperation,” Durbin said. “The world knows the war in Ukraine is a disaster and, increasingly, so do the Russian people, who are tired of their kids dying over Putin’s warped nostalgia for Soviet dystopia.”

The measure is primarily co-sponsored by Democrats. Only five other Republicans signed on so far, including U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham and Rob Portman. Rubio’s Florida colleague Rick Scott is not a co-sponsor yet. Eighteen Democrats and two Independents are on board, meanwhile.