House Republicans and Democrats Thursday sent a letter to President Obama urging him to provide “defensive military systems” to aide the Ukraine government against Russian-backed aggression.
The letter was sent as lawmakers and top military generals have increasingly urged Obama to consider arming Ukraine in response to attacks from Russian-backed rebel forces. President Obama is weighing whether to send arms to help the Ukrainians, administration officials said.
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“The Congress has already, with overwhelming bipartisan support, provided you with the authorities, resources, and political support to provide assistance, including lethal, to the government and people of Ukraine,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote to Obama. “We urge you in the strongest possible terms to use those authorities and resources to meet the specific and direct requests the government of Ukraine has made of your administration.”
The congressional letter was signed by three Democrats, Reps. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Schiff, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Armed Services. Seven Republicans signed the letter in addition to Boehner, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Okla.
The lawmakers pointed out that Congress last year granted Obama the authority to provide the Ukrainian government with weapons to fend off the Russians.
The bipartisan measure, which passed in December, “imposes broad sanctions on Russia’s defense, energy, and financial sectors, as well as increasing military and nonmilitary assistance for Ukraine,” according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
European leaders have generally discouraged U.S.-backed military aide because they fear it will widen the conflict.
