Democrat lawmakers withdrew a petition to President Biden, which demanded a negotiated settlement in Ukraine.
The Progressive Caucus, a left-leaning faction within the Democratic party, said that this was considered them being aligned with the Republicans, who are reluctant to keep sending support to Kyiv.
According to Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, the petition was drafted months ago and was released by the staff without a thorough investigation.
The petition is also said to have sparked an inter-party conflict before the midterm elections coming next month.
The letter to the White House was released to the public on Monday and was signed by 30 members of Biden’s Democratic Party in the House of Representatives.
The petition called for direct negotiations with Russia, which can be seen as a sign of undermining Biden’s administration, which constantly stated that Moscow was not interested in diplomatic talks.
As a response to this, the White House said that diplomacy only happens when both parties are ready to negotiate, and in this case, it is not possible.
Jake Auchincloss, a Massachusetts Congressman condemned the petition, saying that it was an “Olive branch to a war criminal who’s losing his war,” referring to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
Another member of the Caucus, Ruben Gallego, said that the Russian government does not recognize diplomacy, only strength. If Ukraine wants to continue to be an independent and democratic nation, the US and its allies should support their cause.
Ending the war in Ukraine through Diplomatic means
But members of the Congress, such as Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, said on Tuesday that she was in support of ending the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means and said that the timing of the letters’ release to the public meant that they were in support of the views of their Republican counterparts and that the letter was a “distraction” at this time.
She went on to accuse the Republicans of drastically reducing financial and military aid to Ukraine if they were able to win a majority in Congress in the upcoming midterm elections next month.
Kevin McCarthy, a Republican Congressman, commented that if they could secure a majority in the midterms, there would be no “blank cheque” for Ukraine from November onwards.
Other members who signed the petition included New York Congresswoman and leader of the Democratic Party’s socialist wing, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Congressman who was one of the key figures in the effort to investigate Donald Trump’s role in the Capitol Hill riots on January 6th.
Mr. Raskin has renounced the letter by condemning Russia as the “World center of antifeminist, antigay, and anti-trans hatred” and praising Ukraine and its armed forces as they were recruiting sexual minorities. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has also faced pressure in her recent public appearances in Ukraine.
Read More: Russia and US in talks on Ukraine issue
