US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has published an appeal by a group of congressmen from both parties to the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with a call to speed up the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
US congressmen appealed to the Pentagon
Lawmakers also expressed their "strong support" for allowing Ukraine to attack targets on Russian territory and proposed expanding Ukrainian training on American F-16 fighter jets.
Today, Chairman @RepMikeTurner, head of the U.S. delegation to @NATOPAPress, Ranking Member @JAHimes, Representative @GerryConnolly, past president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and additional Members of Congress urged @DeptofDefense to expedite resources to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/rXDjAoh7k8
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) May 20, 2024
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican congressman Mike Turner, said that Ukraine could be given permission to shoot at strategic targets in Russia "under certain circumstances."
Ukrainian officials have expressed serious concern, saying the situation is now worse than ever. The United States should allow Ukraine, under certain circumstances, to use weapons that can hit targets in Russia, train more Ukrainian pilots on the F-16, and strengthen Ukrainian air defence systems.
Lawmakers believe that Ukrainians cannot effectively defend themselves because of the policies of the Biden administration, which needs to be changed.
Our Ukrainian allies are requesting permission to use certain types of US-provided weapons for strategic operations in Russia or on Russian-controlled territory. ... It is critical that the Biden administration allow Ukraine's military leaders to be able to conduct the full range of operations necessary to respond to an unprovoked Russian attack on their sovereign territory, says the letter signed by 13 congressmen as of May 21.
Lawmakers are also calling on the Pentagon to increase the number of Ukrainian pilots the US trains on F-16 fighter jets.
There is a critical need for a significant number of trained pilots who can fly aircraft such as the F-16 to be available to Ukraine.
What is known about the requirements of Ukraine to the US regarding the use of the received weapons
The counteroffensive of the Russian occupation army in the border areas of the Kharkiv Region could be strengthened if the Ukrainian military could use American weapons to strike strategic objects on the territory of Russia.
It is emphasised that recently a delegation of five members of the Ukrainian parliament led by David Arahamia visited Washington to meet with representatives of the White House.
Ukrainian parliamentarians tried to convince representatives of the US Congress, as well as the administration of President Joe Biden, of the need to cancel the ban on the use of American weapons for strikes on the territory of Russia.
At the same time, during the press conference, Ukrainian lawmakers expressed their open disappointment that the US prefers to continue to adhere to this ban.
Military people, generals, do not understand. That is why they push us, politicians, to stop this madness,” said Arahamia.
According to Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Ukrainian analytical center "Center for Transatlantic Dialogue", if the US lifted the ban even before the offensive of the Russian occupation army in the border areas of the Kharkiv region, it could prevent the Russian invaders from accumulating forces near the border with the Kharkiv region.
In particular, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the occupation army of the Russian Federation uses its own airspace as a defence against attacks by the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine cannot effectively defend itself against Russian air defence systems without intercepting Russian aircraft in Russian airspace.
Neither Russia nor any other state has the right to consider its sovereign territory inviolable in the war it unleashed,” ISW emphasises.
