VIDEO RELEASE: Rep. McBride Presses U.N. Ambassador on Trump's Broken Promise to End the War in Ukraine

July 22, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, questioned U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz about President Trump's repeated promise to end Russia's unjustified war in Ukraine on day one, highlighting how the administration has failed to deliver and pressing him on U.S. votes at the United Nations. Rep. McBride's full exchange with Ambassador Waltz can be found here . Key excerpts are below. On Trump’s Broken Promise to End the War in Ukraine: Rep. McBride: “We are well over four years into a war Vladimir Putin started by invading Ukraine. And during the course of the 2024 election, the president promised at least 53 times to end the war on or before day one. On January 20th, 2025 as the sun set and the president pardoned more than a thousand January 6th insurrectionists, when the sun set, the president failed to deliver on his promise that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Ambassador Waltz, why did the president fail to deliver on his promise to end the war? Ambassador Waltz: “The president is doing everything he can to end the war. To date, neither Vladimir Putin with Russia or President Zelensky has seen fit to enter into the final deal. However, the president has put significant pressure – this administration – by sanctioning Lukoil, by sanctioning Rosneft, and is doing everything he can to stop the killing.” Rep. McBride: “So I guess we're in agreement 538 days into the administration that the president has not delivered on his promise that he made at least 53 times during the course of the campaign to end the war on day one.” Ambassador Waltz: “The president has found, despite incredible efforts from him and his team, to be a very frustrating effort…” Rep. McBride: “Well, maybe he shouldn't have made those grandiose promises.” On U.S. Votes at the United Nations on Ukraine: Rep. McBride: “ …On February 24th, a month after the president failed to deliver on that promise, U.S. representatives at the United Nations voted no on a resolution advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. Earlier today, Representative Titus brought up this vote, and you incorrectly stated that the U.S. abstained from voting on the February 2025 resolution. That's not true. The U.S. voted no alongside Russia, Belarus, and North Korea. Really, really great company. Would you like to correct the record that the U.S. indeed voted no?” Ambassador Waltz: “ I understood and perhaps I misunderstood her to be talking about a General Assembly resolution just this past summer where the United States abstained.” Rep. McBride: “ My understanding, the words that she specifically used…was referring to the February 2025 resolution, which the U.S. did indeed vote no on. Then on February 18, 2026, over a year after President Trump failed to deliver on his promise to end the war on day one, U.S. representation at the U.N. under your leadership refused to vote on a resolution expressing support for lasting peace in Ukraine. Ambassador, I'm curious why the United States is scared to call out and stand up to Vladimir Putin at the United Nations?” Ambassador Waltz: “ The United States, under this administration, has put more pressure on Russia to come to the table. Their economy is reflective of that, and this administration sanctioned their top two oil producers and the dark fleet, not the last administration.” Rep. McBride: “ Well, they're now getting more money because of the Strait of Hormuz, but that's neither here nor there. Why did the United States vote no and refuse to vote to denounce Vladimir Putin's illegal war in Ukraine?” Ambassador Waltz: “I'll have to come back to record that prior vote was obviously before my time, so I'll have to look at the wording and the resolution…” Rep. McBride: “Apparently, the only other countries that objected to any of the specific language in that resolution, at least in February 2025, were Belarus, North Korea, and Russia. So not very good company…” Ambassador Waltz: “ My memory is we were shifting to a more neutral mediator position. As we try to end this war unlike the ill-defined victory so-called of the last one…” Rep. McBride: “A strategy that did not work, has not worked…” Ambassador Waltz: “Has worked a lot better than the last administration's.” Rep. McBride: “Well, I don't think that that's true.” Ambassador Waltz: “They’re at least in the room talking which is the art of diplomacy.” Rep. McBride: “There was a photo op in Alaska that the president gave Vladimir Putin, and I think these votes…no votes, only send a message to Vladimir Putin that we are not there.” ###