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A year after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has cost thousands of lives, top Republican lawmakers in Washington are accusing the Biden administration of dragging its feet in supplying Kyiv with sufficient firepower needed to win the fight.
The GOP chairmen of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees this week said the White House isn’t doing enough to back Ukraine.
“President Biden needs to stop dragging his feet on providing the lethal aid necessary to end this war. Continued half-measures by the Biden administration will only drive up the cost of this war in lives and dollars,” Reps. Mike Rogers of Alabama, Michael McCaul of Texas and Mike Turner of Ohio said in a statement.
On Friday, the Pentagon announced a $2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that will provide Kyiv with more artillery ammunition, HIMARS missiles and unmanned aerial systems, such as the Switchblade 600 kamikaze drone.
Although the Pentagon has put off Kyiv’s requests for jet fighters like the F-16 and the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, it’s pushing back on allegations from Republican lawmakers that it’s not doing enough.
“The United States has rallied the world to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Friday. “Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States has committed more than $32 billion in game-changing security assistance to Ukraine over the past year.”
The GOP lawmakers said President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has lasted “a year too long.”
“The people of Ukraine have shown unmatched strength and courage, and with the aid of western weaponry, they have decimated Russia’s war machine,” they said. “In supporting Ukraine’s fight, House Republicans have also continued to conduct robust oversight of U.S. assistance — protecting the American taxpayer while ensuring these weapons continue to make an impact on the battlefield.”
