Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, called on the Biden administration to increase its shipment of heavy weapons to Ukraine while visiting the Moldovan border village of Palanca on Sunday.
''Today while at the joint Ukraine-Moldova border crossing at Palanca, I proudly walked into Ukraine,'' the soon-to-be-retired lawmaker posted to Twitter regarding his trip.
''I also had the opportunity to speak with several Ukrainians crossing the border and hear about their concerns about what Russia was doing to their country.''
Portman later followed up with his conclusion after reflecting on ''briefings and discussions'' he had over the weekend while visiting ''senior Ukrainian officials'' in Eastern Europe.
''I believe the administration should immediately provide artillery to Ukraine that can more effectively counter the Russian weapons,'' he tweeted.
''Specifically, we should provide the MLRS mobile rocket launchers the Ukrainians are requesting. These are defensive weapons needed to protect Ukraine. Our allies and the U.S. must continue to give #Ukraine the tools it needs to defend itself from the brutal Russian attacks,'' another tweet read.
In March, Portman aired a similar message on the Senate floor. He called on President Joe Biden and Congress to ''act swiftly'' in their aid to Ukraine by providing them ''with the equipment, ammunitions, and where necessary, the immediate training to improve their air defenses and give them better offensive air capabilities.''
Portman's influence spans wide in U.S. foreign policy. He serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Ukraine Caucus, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
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