A group of bipartisan lawmakers who sit on the House Intelligence Committee are ramping up calls for President Joe Biden to work with allies to provide additional aircraft and air-defense systems to Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in Brussels next week.
In a joint statement, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-CA, ranking member Mike Turner, R-OH, Reps. Brad Wenstrup, R-OH, Jim Himes, D-CT, Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-IL, and Chris Stewart, R-UT, reiterated their push to ensure Ukraine has the warplanes needed to fight back against Russia’s continued attacks, standing by a sentiment laid out in a letter sent to the president March 7.
“Last week, we sent a letter to President Biden urging the United States to continue to work with our NATO Allies to provide the Ukrainian Air Force with additional military equipment, including the aircraft essential to defending its skies,” the lawmakers said. “The continued and urgent need for this assistance was amplified by President Zelenskyy in his address before the Senate and House yesterday.”
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“Contrary to the expectations of many at the outset of the war, Ukraine continues to deny Russia the ability to operate without consequence in its sky. Despite the loss of many aircraft, Ukrainian pilots have continued to courageously provide air support for ground troops and defend Ukrainian territory while anti-aircraft systems remain operational,” they wrote. “With the war continuing and Russia’s brutality increasing, we believe the United States must work with our NATO Allies to provide the Ukrainian Air Force with additional airpower so it can continue to defend its skies.”
While Biden announced an additional $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine on Wednesday, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s impassioned plea for more aid, the group stressed that they feel the United States and allied nations need to work closely with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense ”to identify weapons systems that can help make a tactical and strategic difference” in the fight.
The lawmakers called for swift action but noted that the U.S. needs to be strategic in its actions to avoid a direct war with Russia.
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“Over the last year, the United States has committed to provide more than $15 billion in security and humanitarian aid to defend Ukrainian territory. We applaud the efforts made so far, but the work is not done,” they said.
“We acknowledge there are risks that come with every decision made in times of conflict, but as we stand united in support of Ukraine’s democracy and sovereignty, we must swiftly transfer the aircraft and air-defense systems Ukraine needs — all while ensuring we are not drawn into a direct conflict with an increasingly dangerous Russia,” they concluded.
