WASHINGTON– Over one month since the beginning of Putin’s unjust war on Ukraine, and following a bipartisan Senate delegation visit to Poland and Germany, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall joined Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in leading a bipartisan group of senators requesting answers from President Biden’s national security advisor (NSA), Jake Sullivan, on the speed, specifics, and supply of lethal aid provided to Ukraine, according to a statement from Marshall's office.
In the letter, the Senators said in part,
“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… America’s commitments to Ukraine and to our NATO allies demand we expedite the delivery of weapons and capabilities to our allies and partners; Ukraine can win this fight if we help them win this fight. Above all else, our commitment to our allies and partners keeps Americans prosperous and keeps our families safe.”
While in Poland, Senators Marshall and Moran heard directly from members of the Ukrainian civil society who passionately stated the lethal aid is flowing too slowly and that the sovereign country needs more specific lethal aid to win the war. Following the bipartisan trip, the Senators are pushing the administration for answers on what they have provided thus far and what more America and our allies can provide to Ukraine to win the war.
In their letter to NSA Sullivan, the senators write: “We request a timely response to these questions detailing your provisions, risk assessments, and strategy to enable Ukraine to defeat Vladimir Putin and return to sovereignty and freedom.
- A list of all lethal and nonlethal aid provided to date and status of delivery or estimated delivery to Ukraine.
- 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.
- A complete list of all Army Pre-positioned Stock (APS) or Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) stocks in Europe by item and location.
- An analysis of available equipment within allied and partner nations that could be procured or transferred to Ukraine and subsequently backfilled with NATO equipment.
- A list of equipment, production capacity, and war reserve inventories the United States is capable of delivering to backfill to NATO members who have provided capabilities to Ukraine.”
The Senators conclude by writing:
“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. Success cannot be a Russian-occupied Ukraine - it must be a free, independent, and sovereign Ukraine. Authoritarianism cannot prevail in this conflict. Defending freedom in Ukraine is defending freedom everywhere. We anxiously await your response.”
To read the full letter, click here.
For more on the bipartisan CODEL to Poland and Germany, click here.