WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukraine, ensuring that no Ukrainian national currently in the United States is forced to return to Ukraine during Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the nation. Today’s move comes days after Senator King joined a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden calling for the change and stressed that failure to protect these Ukrainians “would be inconsistent with America’s values.”

“The administration’s decision to extend Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainian nationals is simply the right thing to do,” said Senator King. “As Putin continues his unprovoked and deadly assault on Ukraine – including deliberately targeting civilian sites – it would un-American to force any Ukrainian back into harm’s way. I’m grateful the Biden administration has taken this step to protect Ukrainians currently in the United States until it is once again safe for them to return home.”

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues in the Senate. In addition to calling for Ukraine to receive a TPS designation, Senator King shared concerns that Putin may consider “greater force in Ukraine” and condemned the attacks on Ukrainian sovereignty as “heinous”, calling for a united, international effort to push back on Putin. Senator King has also urged maximum intelligence sharing with Ukrainian officials, and cosponsored a bipartisan resolution supporting the American partner in the face of Russian aggression.