U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is urging stronger Congressional efforts to deliver sustained military assistance to Ukraine.
Nearly one year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wicker, who is set to be the lead Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, offered renewed support for Ukrainian victory over Russia and asserted that a steady stream of “more, better, and faster” advanced weapon deliveries would help Ukraine secure its territory and push Russian invaders back.
“As the war approaches its second year, Congress must once again lead the Administration to ramp up military aid to Ukraine to drive toward victory. We should all want Ukraine to win the war. A continuation of the status quo – which would drag out the war – favors Russia,” Wicker said. “The United States has made a huge difference in this war, and we can now tip the balance in favor of Ukraine if we take the right steps. I would sum up this policy of the right steps in three words: more, better, and faster. More ground vehicles and munitions. Better equipment. Faster deliveries. We need faster deliveries right now.”
The Mississippi senator outlined how continued support for Ukraine has encouraged U.S. allies to step up their own defense efforts, helping to relieve the long-term burden on the United States. Wicker also asserted that Ukraine has defeated a significant portion of Russia’s military capabilities with what amounts to a small fraction of America’s own defense spending.
“Thanks to our example, our NATO allies are now spending tens of billions more on defense, much of which will be spent here in the United States. In particular, our friends in the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states are making all the right choices to help Ukraine win and prepare their own militaries to deter Russia for decades to come,” Wicker added. “Backing away from Ukraine at this crucial moment would undermine our credibility as we ask the Europeans to shoulder more of the collective defense burden.”
As European and Asian allies spend more on their national defense, Wicker contended that strong material support for Ukraine will also send a message of deterrence to China given its ambitions of attacking Taiwan.
“Some skeptics of our mission in Ukraine believe it distracts from our principal security threat, the Chinese Communist Party. But the reality is the exact opposite. Xi Jinping is watching us closely. He wants to see if we will stick by our commitment as he weighs his opportunities of invading his own neighbor and our friend, Taiwan,” Wicker said. “Our Indo-Pacific allies are also watching closely – and even helping in Ukraine. As Japanese Prime Minister Kishida recently noted, ‘Ukraine today could be Asia tomorrow.'”
Wicker noted that Congress has passed numerous provisions ensuring oversight efforts on how military aid to Ukraine is delivered. The senator emphasized that a large portion of Ukrainian aid is actually spent in the United States to support military manufacturing.
