Letter to Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States - Kaptur, Ryan Call for U.S. and NATO Allies to Provide Fighter Jets for Ukraine's Defense

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

By amassing land, air, and sea capabilities against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is threatening not just the sovereignty of Ukraine but democracy and freedom across the globe. Ukraine's forces have valiantly defended their territory against a force greater in size and complexity than their own, but as you know, Ukraine's capacity to defend its own airspace is limited. Putin continues to use his forces to commit indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian civilians, and without additional military support including aircraft, Russian attacks will lead to additional war crimes and humanitarian tragedies.

We urge you to quickly work with our NATO allies who have MiG and Sukhoi fighters to enable them to provide these available planes to the Ukrainian military. Providing Ukraine with additional fighter capabilities enables them to counter Russian attacks and provide maximum protection of Ukrainian civilians. We ask that you expedite foreign military sales (FMS) of American jets to support our NATO allies who could send their older fighter jets to assist Ukraine. This additional assistance would incentivize the transfer and provide additional deterrence in the region.

We urge you to work with our NATO allies to help bridge Ukraine's capabilities gap, while mitigating whatever risks might be posed by this arrangement. Additional fighters bolster our ability to collectively defend NATO's eastern flank against Putin's unlawful aggression, while simultaneously strengthening our unity as an allied force. Growing trust and interoperability within the alliance will further enhance our capacity to deter Putin's hostilities as a united force. We thank you for your earnest consideration in this matter.

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