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A group of Republican senators on Saturday sent a letter to President Biden urging him to \u201cimmediately\u201d provide the missiles Ukraine needs to win its war against Russia.<\/p>\n
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) shared<\/a> the letter in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, arguing that not sending the weapons would \u201conly prolong the war and cost lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Cotton was joined by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) in his request.<\/p>\n \u201cWe urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine,\u201d they wrote. \u201cAdditional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n Providing Ukraine with ATACMS could fill a gap in the Ukrainian military\u2019s long-range fires capability, according to the lawmakers.<\/p>\n The recent Ukraine strike<\/a> on the Sevastopol naval port using long-range weapons from the United Kingdom proved the \u201ceffectiveness of such weapons\u201d and would maximize future \u201ccounteroffensive and follow-on operations,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n Their request is urgent, the senators wrote, as there are reportedly 30 days left in the typical fighting season.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. is fully capable of providing these weapons without any appreciable risk to its own combat capability,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n In August, the U.S. also announced<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n