Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to skip Thursday's peace talks in Turkey on Newsmax, Wednesday, calling it a missed opportunity for Putin to reverse course on his war in Ukraine.
Putin's decision not to attend peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday drew sharp criticism from Costa, who said the Russian leader squandered a key moment to pursue diplomacy.
"This was Putin's big chance to try to back out of what he's done in Ukraine by showing up at this meeting," Costa said during an appearance on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren." "But his no-show is an affront not just to Ukraine, but to Western Europe, and also President Trump, who said he might go and meet with him."
The talks, which the Kremlin said Putin would not attend, had been suggested by Putin himself. However, he never confirmed he would appear in person.
Costa, a House Foreign Affairs Committee member, expressed little surprise. "I think it's somewhat predictable. Putin is a war criminal. He invaded a peaceful country because he doesn't recognize it," Costa said.
"He's bombed schools and hospitals, and he's abducted over 20,000 Ukrainian children," he added.
Costa also emphasized Putin's long-standing disregard for international agreements with Ukraine.
"Every agreement that he has made with Ukraine, going back to 1994 with the return of the nuclear weapons that were in Ukraine's possession — Putin has broken his word and violated his commitment for peace three times," he said.
Notwithstanding the past violations, he urged the United States and its allies to maintain pressure on Moscow. "We have leverage. President Trump has leverage. And we need to exercise that if we want any meaningful peace, ceasefire, and peace agreement to come as a result of these efforts."
In light of the no-show, Costa hoped that Trump "would understand that Putin is not serious about a meaningful peace agreement, let alone a ceasefire with Ukraine." He added, "We should be consistent with our support with our European allies and continue to support these people of Ukraine."
Costa, who has visited Ukraine four times in the past two years, spoke about the human toll of the conflict. "They're brave, they're tenacious, and they want to maintain their sovereignty and their democracy," he said.
"Absolutely," he added when asked if seeing the war's impact firsthand made a difference. "To be there and hearing the drones come overhead at night … the soldiers who have sustained injuries … a lot of the women members of the Rada tell me, 'Jim, we're becoming a nation of widows.'"
He underscored the stakes: "It's about good versus evil."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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