At the WMUR debate against John E. Sununu in the 2026 New Hampshire U.S. Senate race, Chris Pappas says Trump has tried to cut an oil deal with Vladimir Putin that would prop up Russia's war against Ukraine. He calls for a bipartisan response in Congress, says slowed satellite systems over Ukraine have resulted in Ukrainian civilian deaths, and asks: if we can't stand with Ukraine, "then what does the United States stand for?"
The receipt
- Who
- Chris Pappas
- Where
- other - WMUR Granite State Debates, 2026 NH U.S. Senate debate
- Original footage
- WMUR-TV · watch the full video from this moment
- Length
- 56 seconds, unedited within the cut
- Plays
- 4 on Instagram
Read the transcript
Instead, everything with Donald Trump is a shakedown, whether it's what he's trying to do in Russia, where he's tried to cut an oil deal with Vladimir Putin that's going to prop up the Russian war effort against Ukraine, or whether it's him coddling dictators like Orban. It's just wrong for the United States and what our traditional position has been in the world. United States can't go it alone. We need to strengthen alliances, including NATO. We need to make sure that we are developing partnerships that can help us keep our country safe and secure. And we need challenges to the way that Donald Trump is operating around the world. There needs to be a bipartisan reaction in Congress against some of what we have seen, including this oil deal with Russia, including the way that satellite systems have been slowed over Ukraine that have resulted in civilian deaths of Ukrainians. They are fighting for their independence. And if we can't find common cause with a nation like Ukraine that is fighting for its survival, then what does the United States stand for?
Machine transcript of the clip's audio; names are checked, small words may differ.