U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in requesting details from the Biden administration on America’s mission in Ukraine, including what provisions, risk assessments and strategy the United States has provided to help the country defeat Russia’s invasion.
“In light of Ukraine’s continued resistance against Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, we request you commit to a military support plan to enable Ukraine to win this unlawful war of aggression against their sovereign nation,” the lawmakers wrote in a March 29 letter sent to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Sens. Ernst, Moran, and their colleagues noted that congressional authorities and funding are available to provide more than $3 billion of lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine, as well as to transfer excess, prepositioned defense articles to Ukraine and other allies and partners in Europe for the remainder of the fiscal year.
“America’s commitments to Ukraine and to our NATO allies demand we expedite the delivery of weapons and capabilities to our allies and partners,” the senators wrote. “Ukraine can win this fight if we help them win this fight.”
Among the lawmakers who also signed the letter are U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), John Hoeven (R-ND), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
They requested Sullivan provide a timely response to several questions detailing America’s current plan to help Ukraine, including a list of all lethal and non-lethal aid provided to date and the status of delivery or estimated delivery to Ukraine, as well as a list of all equipment purchased or allocated for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund that remains within U.S. stocks or control and an assessment of the feasibility to provide such equipment to Ukraine, according to their letter.
Among other items, the senators also requested an analysis of available equipment within allied and partner nations that could be procured or transferred to Ukraine and subsequently backfilled with NATO equipment; and a list of equipment, production capacity and war reserve inventories the U.S. could deliver to backfill to NATO members who have provided capabilities to Ukraine.
“The U.S. mission in Ukraine must go beyond ensuring the country merely has the means to defend itself against Russian aggression. The strategy must deliver Ukraine necessary weapons to defend itself, counter the Russian forces’ advance, and give the Ukrainian people a chance to win this war,” the senators wrote. “Success cannot be a Russian-occupied Ukraine — it must be a free, independent and sovereign Ukraine.”