Senate Republicans are seeking information on the status of lethal aid that has been approved for Ukraine and if there is any equipment in Europe or elsewhere that can be sent there to help fight back against the Russians, Sen. Joni Ernst said Wednesday in a Newsmax interview.
The Iowa Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report" that she and a group of 25 fellow senators have sent a letter to national security adviser Jake Sullivan about the status of the military aid, but haven't gotten an answer from him.
"What we want to know is, how much lethal aid has been actually delivered to the Ukrainian people, and what is in store yet to be delivered?" she said. "What type of equipment exists in the European command that could be transferred to the Ukrainian people right now? We expect to get an answer back.
"We have not heard yet from the NSA or the White House on this … we want to know what exactly has been delivered to the Ukrainian people because if they are going to win this fight, they need these capabilities and the assistance right now."
President Joe Biden has rejected the idea of allowing MiG jets now in Poland to be sent to Ukraine or for the United States to participate in a no-fly zone over the country, but Ernst said she does believe that the United States can still provide the equipment Ukraine needs to set up a no-fly zone and keep its people safe.
"But also, we need to continue assisting with the lethal aid as best we can, just making sure that we're pushing as hard as we can from Congress to assist with whatever the Ukrainians might need," said Ernst, adding that the United States must not engage with Russian troops and trigger a wider situation.
The senator last week led a bipartisan delegation of 10 senators to Poland, and on Wednesday said it was "heartbreaking" to see and speak with the Ukrainian refugees, mostly women, children, and the elderly.
"I've heard from a friend of mine in Ukraine, whose community is being shelled daily," she said. "She is very worried about the safety of her elderly mother and her daughter, so it's very concerning to all of us. We want this war to end. We want peace for Ukraine, but we want to maintain a free and sovereign Ukraine."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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