McCarthy, Schumer and other top congressional leaders condemn Russian war on Ukraine: 'Reckless and evil'

House Minority Leader kevin-mccarthy” target=”_blank”>Kevin McCarthy< as “evil” over his war on conflicts, and called for him to face massive backlash for the invasion. 

“Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is reckless and evil. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine and prays for their safety and resolve,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said. “Putin’s actions must be met with serious consequence. This act of war is intended to rewrite history and more concerning, upend the balance of power in Europe. Putin must be held accountable for his actions.”

“What we have in Europe now is the first shooting war since World War II. This is a serious serious incident,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., added. He levied criticism against President Biden’s strategy so far on Russia before arguing that the U.S. and the West should deploy every available sanction against Russia immediately. 

“We’re all together at this point and we need to be together about what should be done. But I have some advice. Ratchet the sanctions all the way up. Don’t hold any back. Every single available tough sanction should be employed and should be employed now,” McConnell said. “There’s no such thing as a little invasion.”

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., addressed the Ukraine invasion at a press conference about abortion in New York Thursday. 

“The bottom line is simple. Vladimir Putin… has launched an unprovoked, immoral invasion of Ukraine,” Schumer said. “No one … should fall… for Putin’s lies that the Ukrainians wanted him to invade or that he was provoked to invade.”

Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine from multiple fronts Wednesday evening U.S. time. Putin declared a “special military operation” in the country in a pre-recorded video from earlier this week that was broadcast early Thursday morning Russian time. 

Air raid sirens and explosions could be heard in conflicts, throughout Thursday. Massive plumes of smoke were also visible in the area. 

  • House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy Image 1 of 3

    House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., responds to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, about the behavior of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and her repeated "anti-Muslim" attacks against Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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    Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to the media during a joint news conference with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. Putin says the U.S. and its allies have ignored Russia’s top security demands. In his first comments on the standoff with the West over Ukraine in more than a month, Putin said Tuesday that the Kremlin is still studying the U.S. and NATO’s response to the Russian security demands received last week. (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool Photo via AP) (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool Photo via AP)

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    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a press conference at the Ukraine’s embassy in Paris on April 16, 2021 after a working lunch with French President. – French President and German Chancellor were to hold talks on April 16 with Ukrainian President in a show of support for his pro-Western government after a Russian military build-up on its eastern borders raised fears of an invasion. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)

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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in a Thursday press release called Russia’s behavior “thuggery” and issued a similar warning to McCarthy’s: “Vladimir Putin is a dictator bent on the reimposition of the Soviet Union sphere of influence. Today he has proven that he will spare nothing to meet this end.”

“His military invasion of his democratic neighbor is a rejection of the will of its people, who have fought hard for the past decade for their independence,” Hoyer added. “I join those around the world in praying for the people of Ukraine in their hour of danger.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hasn’t addressed the Ukraine situation since Russia began its full-fledged offensive late Wednesday U.S. time. But she slammed Putin as a “tyrant” in a press conference earlier Wednesday, after Russian troops first entered the Donbas region earlier this week. 

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joe-biden” target=”_blank”>President Biden<. Biden also said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early Thursday and said, “We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”

Biden is expected to deliver further remarks Thursday afternoon.

Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Peter Doocy contributed to this report. 

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