WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus issued the following position:
“We, the 58 members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, urge continued U.S. commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the freedom of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion. As the Administration considers next steps to support the Ukrainian government and to counter Russian aggression, we strongly believe that the U.S. must provide additional defense materiel to Ukrainians protecting their nation.
“Despite heroic and skillful resistance by Ukrainian forces, Russia currently retains air superiority over Ukraine. Russia’s advantage in this domain could soon develop into air dominance if the Ukrainians do not receive necessary military aid. We believe that Stinger missiles will continue to be critical in combating Russia’s superiority in the air. With Russia’s alarming disregard for Ukrainian civilian casualties, the U.S. must also help supply more comprehensive air defense systems to defend Ukraine and its people. Specifically, the U.S. must work with our NATO allies who possess the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to facilitate and expedite the transfer of these systems to Ukraine. Providing Soviet-era platforms that Ukrainian servicemembers have previously operated and maintained will be essential to their success on the battlefield and will also protect U.S. defense technology from falling into the hands of the Russians.
“We also understand that conversations are ongoing between the U.S., Poland, and other Eastern European allies regarding the transfer of aircraft to Ukraine. We commend the Polish government for taking proactive steps to deliver MiG-29 jets to the Ukrainian Air Force. We urge assistance to help facilitate this deal, commit to replenishing our allies’ fleets with American-made aircraft and help advance the transfer of Su-25 aircraft to Ukraine as well. Similar to an S-300 transfer, this is a pragmatic solution to expeditiously provide the Ukrainians with aircraft that Ukrainian pilots have flown and their servicemembers can maintain. We also believe that the U.S. should seriously consider strategies to provide further drone capability to the Ukrainians, as they have already used Bayraktar TB2 drones with success on the battlefield. Unmanned platforms–to include both intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike capabilities–could prove critical to Ukrainian efforts to combat Russia’s advances.
“The U.S. must act decisively to support Ukraine. We must urge our allies and partners to do the same.”
This statement has been officially endorsed by the Problem Solvers Caucus, garnering the support of more than 75 percent of the Caucus.
# # #
The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in Congress comprised of 58 members – equally divided between Democrats and Republicans – committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues.