Republican Rep. Don Bacon said Trump’s speech failed to call Ukraine a “victim” and Russia an “aggressor.”
“I would have liked the speech to say that Ukraine is a good democratic country, a victim, and Russia is the aggressor,” Bacon said.
“We should be on the right side. That was a weak point of the speech. There are good things in it, but I would have liked him to do better.”
Democratic lawmaker Eugene Vindman pointed out the absence of any coherent plan to end the war.
“He mentioned Ukraine a few times, but he did not acknowledge that this is the fourth anniversary [of the full-scale invasion] and that there is no plan to stop the war, so it was completely inappropriate and did not meet the moment,” Vindman said.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she expected Trump to announce military aid to Ukraine that is critically needed on the battlefield.
“I thought he would address Congress to appropriate funding that is critically necessary to contain Russia,” she said.
“Ukraine must remain an independent country, and we must contain Putin by every means available to prevent his dream of taking Ukraine.”