Gregory W. Meeks
Role at the time: Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a statement posted by the committee's Democrats
Statement summary
Rep. Gregory Meeks said he condemned Trump's reversal weeks after signing a bill aimed at sanctioning buyers of Russian energy, saying that instead of pressuring Putin, Trump continues to appease him.
“I condemn this reversal: instead of putting economic pressure on Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, Trump continues to appease him.”
Statement attributed to Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, posted on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats' official account.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case asks whether the U.S. should ease sanctions on Russian diesel to lower fuel prices, as the administration did on October 9. Meeks says "I condemn this reversal" and that Trump "continues to appease" Putin instead of pressuring him. That opposes the easing, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional; it loses because the statement contains no support for the arrangement.