US lawmakers criticise Capitol meeting with Russian delegation

Several members of the US Congress have expressed outrage over a visit by a Russian delegation to the US Capitol organised by the office of controversial Republican House member Anna Paulina Luna.

Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda

Details: On 26 March, Luna posted photos on X (Twitter) that also featured lawmakers Eli Crane, Derrick Van Orden and Andy Ogles. They met with a Russian delegation that included Vyacheslav Nikonov, grandson of Vyacheslav Molotov, as well as several members of the foreign affairs committee of the State Duma of Russia.

They posed for photographs near the US Institute of Peace, named after Donald Trump, and were also seen walking through the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

"If I can come to the table in pursuit of peace, then everyone can," said Republican lawmaker Derrick Van Orden, referring to his three years of military service.

"The time for killing must end, and the only path to peace is through dialogue or overwhelming force – and we are not going to war with Russia," he added.

Luna wrote on X (Twitter) on Thursday that "as representatives of the world's two greatest nuclear super powers, we owe our citizens open dialogue, ideas, and open lines of communication".

"We will continue to foster this dialogue and push for peace in support of this admin[istration']s push for peace, as well as economic opportunity," she added.

Several members of Congress criticised the very fact that the meeting had taken place.

"Foreign political operatives of our adversaries should NEVER be allowed on Capitol Hill. This 'visit' opened the doors to a massive security threat to the Speaker, to our Congress, and to democracy itself," wrote Democratic Representative Mike Quigley on X (Twitter) on Friday.

"I find that terribly problematic," said Democratic Senator Mark Warner, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Criticism also came from Republicans.

"As self-declared enemies of the American way of life and perpetrators of heinous mass murder, members of the war criminal Putin regime must not be welcomed in any way," Republican Joe Wilson said. "I compare this meeting on Capitol Hill as having a visit by the Third Reich."

Responding to questions about the meeting, Republican Representative Don Bacon said: "Russia's Putin and his cronies hate America, hate freedom, and want to undermine the US at every step. Their invasion [of] Ukraine is one giant war crime."

A Department of State spokesperson confirmed meetings between members of Congress and State Duma representatives on Thursday and said the Russians would also meet "a federal government delegation" at the Institute of Peace. The spokesperson added that a "junior State Department official will join each of these meeting[s] as a note taker".

The event took place amid criticism of Russia over intelligence sharing with Iran during a US operation which, the European Union said this week, helped Tehran kill Americans.

"Sanctioned officials do not arrive by accident – they were issued visas, granted waivers and authorised by our own government to be here. That decision reduces the costs we have imposed on the Kremlin and grants access and legitimacy at a time when we should be doing the opposite," said Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Quigley described the delegation's trip as "yet another extension of the Trump administration's moral equivalency between Russia and Ukraine in this war".

Background:

• Previously, Luna claimed Christians were being persecuted in Ukraine and said she would appeal to the State Department following an appeal from treason suspect Oleksandr Dubinskyi.
• On 28 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was surprised that the US is lifting sanctions against Russia while it is assisting Iran with intelligence.

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