‘We can’t let Putin declare a win,’ Sen. Warner says of ceasefire talks

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• Amna Nawaz:

  Now, for perspective on two big stories of the day, the possible cease-fire in Ukraine and the potential shutdown here in the U.S., I spoke a short time ago to Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who serves on both the Budget and Intelligence committees.

  Senator Warner, welcome back to the "News Hour." Thanks for being with us.

• Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA):

  Thank you, Amna.

• Amna Nawaz:

  So, before we get to the funding of the government, I just want to ask you because you also sit on the Intelligence Committee, to get your reaction to news today from Russia, where we heard President Vladimir Putin say that he is open to the idea of a 30-day cease-fire plan as proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine, but he says he has questions about that.

  What do you take his remarks to mean, and could there be a cease-fire in this war?

• Sen. Mark Warner:

  Listen, it would be great if there was a cease-fire, but it can't be entirely on Russia's terms.

  And my concern is that Putin was just yesterday in Kursk, which is the part of Russia that Ukraine has actually gained some foothold in, and I took that as thinking that the Russians were going to push the Ukrainians out. And the devil in a 30-day cease-fire will be in the details, and my understanding was that Putin had asked for like 80 different conditions.

  What we can't do is allow Putin to claim a win out of this, because that is not only bad for the Ukrainians, after they were brutally invaded, but it's also bad for all of our NATO partners in the Baltic countries or Poland, because a victorious Putin means there's not going to be any safety in Eastern Europe for the foreseeable future.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Do you take it as a progress — a sign of progress that he says he's open to it? I mean, should President Trump get some credit for even getting a proposal on the table here?

• Sen. Mark Warner:

  The fact that they're at least talking, I think is a good sign, although I have got to tell you, Vladimir Putin, trusting him has not proven very well. You can ask the country of Georgia. You can ask Ukrainians. You can ask Moldova.

  You can ask a series of countries that have tried to do a deal with Putin, and then he reneges. And the fact that we — I think it was a travesty when the United States recently sided with Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, all the bad guys to say that — couldn't even acknowledge that Russia invaded Ukraine.

  So let's see what happens. Let's see what conditions there are. Obviously, if we can get a cessation of the firing, the fighting, that would be good.

• Amna Nawaz:

  All right, back to Capitol Hill now. And you have said that you are a no on the Republicans' funding plan. We know Senate Democrats met today behind closed doors, and reporters heard very loud voices unfolding inside during that meeting.

  Where is the disagreement right now within Senate Democrats, and do you have a plan?

• Sen. Mark Warner:

  Listen, these are both awful options. We all know the downturn of a government shutdown, particularly from a Trump and a Musk that may not even want to reopen the government, only selectively reopen.

  We also know that the C.R., where Republicans completely gave in to the Trump requests is just brutal. It's brutal of federal workers. It's brutal to our vets, where the plan is already to lay off 40,000 people in the VA. And I have been amazed the number of federal workers and government contractors, almost 100 percent, have said vote against this C.R. We just can't abide this kind of chaos.

  But let me acknowledge, there may be Democrats who vote for it. I'm not going to criticize — or vote for the C.R. I'm not going to criticize them. These are both bad options, and we shouldn't be here.

• Amna Nawaz:

  We know it's a busy day for you, sir. We appreciate you making the time to speak with us.

  That is Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia joining us tonight.

  Thank you, sir.

• Sen. Mark Warner:

  Thank you.