Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Foreign Policy
Durbin, Graham, Grassley Meet With ICC Chief Prosecutor
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), met with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to receive an update on its investigation into the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also joined the meeting. “The ICC has… Continue Reading
08.04.22
Durbin, Rubio, Tillis, Shaheen Call On Secretary Blinken To Impose Magnitsky Law Sanctions On Russian Officials Responsible For Poisoning And Jailing Of Opposition Leader Vladimir Kara-Murza
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to swiftly impose Magnitsky law related sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the arrest, jailing, and poisoning of Russian-opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza. The Senators' letter comes after the unanimous passage of their res… Continue Reading
08.03.22
Durbin Statement On Senate Approving Sweden And Finland's Membership In NATO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate ratified the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): "With Russia's outrageous and barbaric actions in Ukraine and ongoing threats to others in Europe, the importance of NATO couldn't be more apparent. Today, the Senate overwhelmingly approved NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, adding two essential democratic partne… Continue Reading
08.03.22
Durbin Enthusiastically Supports Finland And Sweden Accession To NATO
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, applauded the Senate's upcoming vote to approve Sweden and Finland's membership to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During his speech, Durbin reflected on his recent trip to Lithuania and the NATO summit in Madrid. "I stand in solid support of the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO," said Durbin. "I visited Lithuania… I met wi… Continue Reading
07.19.22
Durbin Questions Director Of DOJ Kleptocapture Task Force At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Seizing Illicit Russian Assests
WASHINGTON - During today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "KleptoCapture: Aiding Ukraine through Forfeiture of Russian Oligarchs' Illicit Assets," U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked Andrew C. Adams, Director of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) KleptoCapture Taskforce, about the task force's progress and if there is cooperation with foreign governments to track and seize high value Russian assets. "We've made a lot of no… Continue Reading
07.13.22
Durbin, Tillis, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Resolution To Recognize Political Repression In Belarus
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing the second anniversary of the stolen 2020 Belarus presidential election, the historic peaceful protests, and the continued heroic efforts of the Belarusian people. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ruled as an undemocratic dictator since the first presidential election in Belarus in 1994. The resolution was also cosponsored by Mar… Continue Reading
06.27.22
Durbin In Lithuania, Sweden, Spain To Discuss Support For NATO & Baltic States, Opposition To Russian Agression
VILNIUS-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Baltic Freedom Caucus and the Senate Ukraine Caucus, is in Vilnius, Lithuania, today as part of travel to three European nations to discuss congressional support for the transatlantic relationship and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as continued Russian aggression and interference in western democracies. In Vilnius, Durbin received the Aleksandras Stulginskis Star Award-only the second individual and … Continue Reading
06.22.22
Durbin, Portman Meet With U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink to discuss the latest events regarding Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. They also discussed how the Senate can continue to better support our ally through military, economic, and humanitarian assistance. "As Putin's military continues to attack, innocent Ukrainians are forced to flee and f… Continue Reading
06.21.22
Durbin: Amid Putin's War, NATO Is Stronger Than Ever
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, condemned Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine. Durbin highlighted the bipartisan meeting with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), also Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and members of the Ukrainian Parliament last week. They discussed how the U.S. Senate can continue to better support Ukraine through military, economic, and humanitarian assi… Continue Reading
06.21.22
Durbin, Portman, Blumenthal, Grassley Urge Department Of Defense To Send More Advanced Artillery Rocket Systems To Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urging him to send more advanced artillery rocket systems and ammunition to Ukraine, as the systems are vital in Ukraine's defense against Russia's brutal invasion. The Senators commended the decision by the Biden administration earlier… Continue Reading
06.16.22
Durbin, Shaheen Meet With Evgenia Kara-Murza, Wife Of Russian Dissident
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe, today met with Evgenia Kara-Murza, the wife of Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza. During their meeting, they discussed his unjust detention and continued pressure to release him and other Russian political prisoners. The Senate recently passed Durbin, Shaheen, and Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) bip… Continue Reading
06.14.22
On Senate Floor, Durbin urges Release Of Political Prisoners
WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted the plight of political prisoners in four nations and called for their immediate release. All of these political prisoners have been outspoken in their support for democracy and basic freedoms. Durbin began his speech by highlighting Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested in Moscow following an interview in which he called Vladimir Putin's government "a team of m… Continue Reading
06.09.22
Durbin And Bill Gates Talk Global Health, Increasing Public Health Infrastructures Worldwide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. During their meeting, Durbin and Gates spoke about preparing for future public health crises by strengthening health systems in developing countries, enhancing integrated global disease monitoring, and addressing existing gaps in public health services. They also discussed challenges and opportunities in addr… Continue Reading
05.27.22
Senate Passes Durbin, Grassley Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating 100 Years Of Diplomatic Relations Between U.S. And Baltic States
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations with the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) amid increasing Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. "By passing our biparti… Continue Reading
05.25.22
Durbin Questions USAID Administrator At Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing about USAID's Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget request. Durbin began his questions by asking about Haiti, which continues to face security issues and struggles to recover from multiple natur… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Durbin, Duckworth Join Bipartisan Letter Requesting Biden Administration Swiftly Advance NATO Applications For Sweden And Finland
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Baltic Freedom Caucus and the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to expedite the Executive Branch's process to advance Sweden and Finland's applications for NATO membership and pledging to work with the Administration to ensure swift ratification of the Washington Treaty.… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin: I Support The Succession Of Sweden And Finland To NATO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor in support of Sweden and Finland's intention to apply for rapid NATO membership. Yesterday, Durbin met with members of the Lithuanian Members of Parliament to discuss Russia's continued war in Ukraine, efforts to bolster security across Europe, and Sweden and Finland's interest in joining NATO. Durbin, Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, praised the Baltics includ… Continue Reading
05.19.22
Durbin Statement On Senate-Passed Supplemental Aid For Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after the Senate passed an emergency funding package to assist Ukraine following Russia's unjustified and unprovoked war. The legislation provides funding for military and humanitarian aid, public health and medical support for Ukrainian refugees, and emergency food aid around the world. "The $40 billion in emergency aid will help Ukraine withstand the next br… Continue Reading
05.18.22
Foreign Relations Committee Advances Durbin, Grassley Bipartisan Resolution To Celebrate 100 Years Of Diplomatic Relations Between U.S. And Baltic States
WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today advanced a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations with the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The resolution also reaffirms the United States' commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) amid increasing Russian aggression in Eastern Eur… Continue Reading
05.17.22
Durbin Meets With Loukas Kozonis, Guest To Greek Prime Minister's Joint Meeting Of Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Loukas Kozonis, his guest to today's Joint Meeting of Congress by His Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic. Mr. Kozonis is a resident of Bannockburn, Illinois, founding member of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), and Vice Chair of the Chicago-Athens Sister Cities Committee. Durbin was a member of the leadership escort committee for today's Joint Meeting. "It was a great h… Continue Reading