Congressional pressure is building on President Biden, demanding that he approve the shipment of long-range missiles to Ukraine—specifically, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) with a range of 300 km. Nine members of Congress from both parties, led by Republican Jason Crow (CO), have sent a letter to Biden demanding that he approve the sending of ATACMS to Ukraine, reported Politico. “The war in Ukraine has become a conflict of grinding attrition. We can and must help break this stalemate. By swiftly providing the Ukrainian forces with these additional capabilities, we can significantly improve their chances of victory, restore peace to Europe, and ensure a more stable and prosperous world,” they wrote. (https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-crow-leads-bipartisan-coalition-calling-for-fourth-gen-fighter-aircraft-atacms-to-be-sent-to-ukraine )
The letter also calls on the President to approve other advanced weaponry, including U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets and additional air defense capabilities, such as another Patriot missile defense system. It also urges him to expedite the transfer of U.S. M1 Abrams tanks, which are expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of the year. U.S. officials have become less concerned that sending more advanced weaponry might escalate the conflict, as Ukraine proved repeatedly that it would not use U.S. equipment to strike into Russian territory, Crow (falsely) claimed in an interview.
