Today, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to replace weapons, ammunition and other defense equipment provided to Ukraine by certain NATO countries. Specifically, the bill would authorize the Department of Defense (DoD) to transfer equipment to lower-income NATO countries to quickly fortify their defense capabilities. The legislation would promise to backfill past and future donations, encouraging donations of additional capabilities.
“Thankfully, many of our NATO allies stepped up to the plate and immediately delivered critical weapons and supplies to Ukraine. To deter any potential further invasion or aggression from Putin, and to facilitate delivery of additional weapons systems to Ukraine so it can expel the invaders, it’s important to replenish arms and ammunition quickly – especially in eastern Europe. Putin’s actions have been increasingly unhinged, and during this uncertain time, it’s especially important for the U.S. to stand strongly with our allies in the region,” Grassley said.
“The resilience of the Ukrainian people is unparalleled, as they continue to show Putin that they are not willing to hand over their country’s future,” said Durbin. “Today I’m leading a bipartisan bill with Senator Grassley to ensure that we continue to support our NATO partners who are providing Ukrainians on the frontlines with critically needed security aid.”
While many countries on NATO’s eastern flank were quick to get lethal aid to Ukrainians at the onset of Russia’s invasion, many of these countries need these weapons to deter and defend against possible Russian aggression. Furthermore, some NATO countries have weapons – like Soviet-era air defense systems and Turkish-made drones – that could be very useful to Ukraine going forward. However, failing to replace these weapons if donated would leave serious security gaps.
Grassley and Durbin’s proposal would backfill arms donated by lower-income NATO countries. This would both fix security gaps in frontline NATO countries from existing donations, and it would encourage further donation of high impact systems that could make a significant difference in the next phase of the war to ensure Ukrainian victory.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is also a cosponsor of the legislation.
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