WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Ukraine Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Andy Harris (R-MD), and Mike Quigley (D-IL), and 18 additional Members of Congress sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on his Administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 and provide greater defensive assistance to Ukraine. The letter comes in direct response to a buildup of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border in recent weeks and amid increased concerns about a potential Russian invasion.
The members write, in part, “As one of our strongest partners in the region, we must work to preserve Ukraine’s future as a free state. Therefore, it is crucial that your Administration provide Ukraine increased defensive military assistance – including air defense and anti-ship systems – as well as to fully sanction the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and its operator Nord Stream AG, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom.”
The members continued, “To maximize deterrence, it is critical that at least some military aid - Stingers, Javelins, drones, and anti-ship missiles - are provided immediately. The Ukrainian state must be equipped with the tools necessary to defend itself and the region against Russian aggression.”
A copy of the final letter is available here, and the full text of the letter is below:
Dear President Biden,
As members of the United States House of Representatives, we write to express our deep concern and growing alarm at increasing Russian hostilities on NATO’s eastern flank. Thank you for your efforts to publicly reassure Ukraine and develop a joint response with our European allies and partners. As one of our strongest partners in the region, we must work to preserve Ukraine’s future as a free state. Therefore, it is crucial that your Administration provide Ukraine increased defensive military assistance – including air defense and anti-ship systems – as well as to fully sanction the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and its operator Nord Stream AG, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom. We applauded the recent unanimous passage of mandatory sanctions against Nord Stream AG in the House FY22 NDAA and strongly supported their inclusion in the final conferenced bill.
As you well know, Russia has significantly increased its aggression toward Central and Eastern Europe in its efforts to undermine transatlantic security. Its military buildup along the Ukrainian-Russian border – the second of this year – is reminiscent of the actions it took before its 2014 illegal war and occupation of Ukrainian territories. On Monday, November 29th, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced joint military drills with Russia. The Kremlin has clearly helped to manufacture a European energy crisis to coerce our allies to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and undermine democratic institutions. Over successive Administrations through decades, Congress has served as the backbone of support for Central and Eastern Europe. The Congressional Ukraine Caucus was pleased to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his inaugural visit to the U.S. Capitol. President Zelenskyy thanked the Caucus for its efforts to increase security assistance to Ukraine. Congress has also increased development assistance to counter the scourge of corruption in that nation, especially the entrenched corruption networks maintained by domestic oligarchs. To counter Russia’s clear and ongoing weaponization of energy, Congress has voted three times on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to place sanctions on Nord Stream 2.
We strongly urge your Administration to immediately institute sanctions against Nord Stream AG. Your Administration must use all tools to deter Russia from taking further action against Ukraine, including economic sanctions. Congress has a strong bipartisan record on protecting European energy security. We will continue to use future legislative vehicles to protect Central and Eastern Europe from Russian manipulation.
We appreciate the Administration’s efforts to rally the transatlantic community diplomatically to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and the previous provision of $60 million in security assistance to Ukraine earlier this year. To further deter Russian aggression, we urge the Administration to provide Ukraine with defensive lethal assistance including air defense and anti-ship systems in close consultation with our NATO allies on the eastern flank. To maximize deterrence, it is critical that at least some military aid - Stingers, Javelins, drones, and anti-ship missiles - are provided immediately. The Ukrainian state must be equipped with the tools necessary to defend itself and the region against Russian aggression.
Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure a Ukraine that is prosperous, democratic, free, and strong U.S. partner.
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