GOP senators ask Biden to provide Ukraine with missiles needed to win war

A group of Republican senators sent a letter to President Biden Saturday urging him to “immediately” provide the missiles Ukraine needs to win its war against Russia.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) shared the letter in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, arguing that not sending the weapons would “only prolong the war and cost lives.”

Cotton was joined by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) in his request. 

“We … urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine,” they wrote. “Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict.”

Providing Ukraine with the missiles could fill a gap in the Ukrainian military’s long-range fires capability, according to the lawmakers.

The recent Ukraine strike on the Sevastopol naval port using long-range weapons from the United Kingdom proved the “effectiveness of such weapons” and would maximize future “counteroffensive and follow-on operations,” they said.

Their request is urgent, the senators wrote, as there are reportedly 30 days left in the typical fighting season. 

The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act and asked the Department of Defense to consider sending long-range missions to Ukraine. 

“The U.S. is fully capable of providing these weapons without any appreciable risk to its own combat capability,” the letter said. 

In August, the U.S. also announced a $200 million security assistance package. The federal government has provided roughly $43 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.