Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Foreign Policy
Durbin, Shaheen, Wicker Meet With Belarusian Opposition Leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) yesterday met with Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to discuss efforts to bring democracy to her country. In 2020, Tsikhanouskaya likely won the disputed election against Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko after filling in for her … Continue Reading
April 09, 2025
Durbin: The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Should Be Resumed And The Hostage Returned Immediately
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor on the importance of ending the war in Gaza and addressing the humanitarian crisis. During his remarks, Durbin reiterated the need to resume the ceasefire and return the hostages immediately. “I am proud of the fact that President Harry Truman was the first president to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and I certainly concur with that sentiment to this day. The creation of the state of Israel after … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Durbin, Klobuchar, Grassley, Colleagues Press Administration On U.S. Support For Recovering Abducted Ukrainian Children
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in calling for the State Department to continue supporting efforts to investigate Russia’s abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children. In a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio, … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Durbin, Shaheen Host Lithuanian Minister Of Defense To Discuss Increased Russian Aggression Toward The Baltic Region
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met with Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Dovile Šakaliene, to discuss an increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to maintain allied support forUkraine and NATO. The meeting comes after President Trump’s shameful outburst toward Ukrainian President … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Senate Republicans Reject Durbin's Resolution To Condemn Russia's Abduction Of Ukrainian Children
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a simple resolution he introduced condemning Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children and called on Russia to work with the international community to return all abducted Ukrainian children to their families. Since Russia’s full-scale war of aggression started in 2022, the Russian government has abducted, forcibly … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Durbin, Boozman, Shaheen, Coons Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Increase U.S. Exports To Africa
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR); Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Chris Coons (D-DE); and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve America’s competitiveness throughout the African continent and in Latin America and the Caribbean. TheIncreasing American Jobs through Greater Exports to Africa and Latin America Act will force better coordination between U.S. … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Durbin Statement On President Trump's Oval Office Remarks To Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
ROCKFORD - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after President Trump and Vice President Vance’s tense and embarrassing meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: “After calling the President of Ukraine ‘a dictator’ and blaming him for invading his own country, President Trump and Vice President Vance berated President Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude. With 46,000 Ukrainians … Continue Reading
February 26, 2025
Durbin Announces Murkowski As New Cosponsor Of Bill To Grant Ukrainians Already In The U.S. Temporary Guest Status
WASHINGTON - Following the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, announced U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is a cosponsor of his Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
On Third Anniversary Of Russia's Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine, Durbin Reiterates Bipartisan Congressional Support For Ukraine
WASHINGTON - On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Ukraine. During his speech, Durbin condemned President Trump’s appeasement to Russian President Vladimir Putin—where Trump announced key concessions to Putin regarding Ukraine, while apparently ignoring Ukraine’s key demands. Durbin began his speech by reflecting on President Reagan’s … Continue Reading
February 24, 2025
On The Third Anniversary Of Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, Durbin Introduces Bill To Grant Ukrainians Already In The U.S. Temporary Guest Status
WASHINGTON - On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today introduced the Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, legislation that would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. The bill … Continue Reading
February 19, 2025
Durbin Condemns President Trump's Comments About Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement after President Donald Trump publicly attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the post, President Trump claimed the U.S. was “duped” into spending billions to help Ukraine defend itself following Russia’s 2022 full-scale military invasion and that President Zelenskyy is a “dictator without elections.” Further parroting a Kremlin propaganda point, … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Durbin, Grassley, Tillis Meet With NATO Ambassadors To Discuss Increased Russian Aggression
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Co-Chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) met with ambassadors to the U.S. from various NATO partner countries. During the meeting, they discussed the increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance as … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Durbin Applauds Senate Passage Of His Bipartisan Legislation To Extend Authorization Of Global Basic Education Effort
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded Senate passage of his bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to reauthorize for another five years the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The legislation continues a strategic approach for U.S. development assistance focused on basic education for vulnerable children around the globe. “Given … Continue Reading
November 21, 2024
Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine, Bridget Brink
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, to discuss continued Congressional support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance ahead of the incoming Administration. Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) also joined the meeting. “More than two and a half years after Putin began his brutal, criminal invasion, Ukraine remains on the frontlines of democracy,” said … Continue Reading
November 20, 2024
Durbin Statement On Vote To Suspend The Sale Of Some U.S-Made Weapons To Israel
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) motions to discharge S.J.Res.111, S.J.Res.113, and S.J.Res.115, which would suspend the sale of $1 billion in certain U.S.-made weapons to Israel: “I believe passionately that Israel has not only the right to exist, but the right to defend itself in the dangerous neighborhood of the Middle East. The terrorist attack of October 7 was truly horrific and … Continue Reading
October 07, 2024
Durbin Statement Marking One Year Since The October 7 Hamas Terrorist Attack On Israel
CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement marking one year since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel: “On October 7, 2023, we witnessed a horrific terrorist attack on Israel when Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, nearly 100 of whom are still being held in unimaginable conditions. One fact tells the grim story: more Jews died on October 7 than any time since the Holocaust in a premeditated … Continue Reading
September 26, 2024
Durbin Statement On Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Meeting With United States Senators
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with United States Senators: “President Zelenskyy’s message remains clear: without continued U.S. support, Ukraine will lose the war. Allowing a Putin victory in Ukraine would surrender U.S. leadership around the world, undermine the hard-fought stability in Europe that emerged after two devasting world … Continue Reading
September 26, 2024
Durbin Meets With Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor & Interim Leader Of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus
NEW YORK - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who was recently selected to lead the Bangladeshi caretaker government following the resignation of former authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Durbin first met Dr. Yunus more than 20 years ago during a trip to Bangladesh. “Dr. Yunus’ ideas changed the world and helped earn him a Nobel Peace Prize. Tragically, his ideas also earned him the wrath of then-Bangladeshi … Continue Reading
September 19, 2024
Durbin Meets With Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty To Discuss Ongoing Conflict In Gaza
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and Iranian-sponsored instability. During the meeting, they also discussed a path for post-war Gaza. In addition to Durbin, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) also joined the meeting. “Egypt is an important voice in the Middle East and remains a critical voice in helping humanitarian aid enter Gaza and assisting negotiations toward a … Continue Reading
September 09, 2024
Durbin Introduces Bill To Halt U.S. Investment In Venezuela's Energy Sector Until Legitimate Election Results Are Respected
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a bill terminating all U.S. petroleum cooperation and petroleum-related trade with Venezuela until the legitimate results of the recent Venezuelan election are respected. On July 28, more than 10 million Venezuelans peacefully voted in the presidential election, with results meticulously compiled by credible election monitors showing an overwhelming victory for opposition candidate, Edmundo González, over President … Continue Reading