A quartet of Republican senators, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, have penned a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to supply Ukraine with missile systems.
The Eastern European nation is currently grappling with a Russian invasion and the senators believe that the provision of these missiles is crucial for Ukraine's defense.
In a tweet, Senator Cotton stated, "I wrote to President Biden with my colleagues and urged him to provide Ukraine with the missiles its military needs to win. Not doing so will only prolong the war and cost lives."
The letter, signed by the four senators, specifically requested the provision of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine. The senators warned that any further delay would only serve to undermine U.S. national security interests and prolong the conflict. "It is essential that the United States immediately provide ATACMS so Ukraine can achieve vital objectives before winter and deny Russia the ability to fortify its positions," the letter read.
The senators also emphasized that the U.S. is fully capable of providing these weapons without any significant risk to its own combat capability. They pointed out that Ukraine has significantly degraded Russian combat power and only requires a small portion of the U.S.'s stockpiled ATACMS. "We urge you to authorize the immediate shipment of ATACMS to Ukraine," the lawmakers wrote.
In response to Senator Cotton's tweet about the letter, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida questioned the extent of the proposed support, asking, "How long till the Ukraine First caucus wants to send nukes?" Jenna Ellis also questioned the end goal, asking, "When does this actually end, Senator? What are the United States' interests and objectives here?"
The U.S. has already allocated billions in support of Ukraine, but President Biden and many lawmakers are advocating for even more assistance for the beleaguered nation. Senator Graham has previously stated that it is "imperative" for the U.S. to continue supporting the Ukrainian military.
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