CLEVELAND — Since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in late February of 2022, Ohio has had five U.S. Senators each with their own view on what the U.S. involvement should look like.
Support for Ukraine was strongest in those early days before the retirement of former Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), who was co-founder and co-chair of the Senate's Ukraine Caucus. Portman and then-U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) were solid supporters of military and humanitarian aid.
Ohio ranks 6th among states with the largest Ukrainian populations with Parma being the largest in Ohio, with an estimated 4,407, which is about 5% of Parma’s population.
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The 2022 race to succeed Portman featured a sharp contrast in opinions on Ukraine, with Democrat nominee Tim Ryan at the time vowing to "continue Rob Portman's leadership on Ukraine," while Republican JD Vance questioned ongoing military aid to Ukraine.
"I certainly think we're reaching the point here where additional resources to Ukraine, I don't know how much it's actually going to help," Vance told News 5 in October of 2022.
Vance would win the seat before being elevated to vice president following the 2024 presidential election, which also saw the defeat of Brown by Republican Bernie Moreno, who, like Vance, didn't believe America should be funding, in his words, "another endless war."
In the 2026 matchup between former Senator Brown and Vance's replacement Senator Jon Husted (R-OH), Brown was critical of President Trump's decision last week to suspend sanctions on Russia. The suspended sanctions included those just passed by Congress in the name of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, days after the administration announced a deal to buy Russian diesel.
"Now this gift to Putin, I mean, I know a lot of Ukrainians and Pols in greater Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, Lorain and they are so livid that the president," Brown told News 5. "Giving this huge gift to Putin so he can continue this butchery in eastern and central Europe."
News 5 asked Senator Jon Husted, who was one of the 86 U.S. Senators who joined a bipartisan vote last month for those Russian restrictions in the Graham Act, about the White House's moves.
"I can tell you I do not trust Vladimir Putin," said Husted. "He has been untrustworthy his entire life. He is not interested in doing honest deals with anybody. And so anything that would strengthen his hand, I have questions about."
Brown says Husted should have more than questions.
"You know, Ukraine can't compromise. Ukraine has been attacked and Jon Husted has stayed strangely silent. I don't know if the Ukrainian community has tried to meet with him," Brown added, "I wish he'd pay attention to what's happening in Ukraine."
News 5 asked Husted about that and about reports the White House has been behind the Starlink disruptions that have impacted Ukraine's ability to defend itself, something the president has denied. Husted said he would never support any U.S. effort that would benefit Putin.
"Absolutely not. I'm for Ukraine," Husted said. "Ukraine is the victim in this particular war and they're not, they're not the aggressors. Russia is the aggressors and we should support bringing this war to an end. I understand that you have to talk with Putin and you have to talk with Zelensky to get that done. But Putin is untrustworthy and we need to bring this to an end so that Putin is no longer a threat to America and any of our allies around the globe."
