A U.S. congressman from Tennessee is among 16 members of Congress and three U.S. senators who signed a letter to President Joe Biden demanding the de-escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine and a strategic plan to bring the war between those two countries to an end.
Rep. Andy Ogles (D-TN-05) signed a letter penned by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), which says in part:
Open-ended U.S. aid to Ukraine is fundamentally incompatible with our strategic interests. A simple reading of the 2022 National Security Strategy admits as much. The strategy acknowledges China as “the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.12” Yet, U.S. action in the past year would suggest otherwise. There are appropriate ways in which the U.S. can support the Ukrainian people, but unlimited arms supplies in support of an endless war is not one of them. Our national interests, and those of the Ukrainian people, are best served by incentivizing the negotiations that are urgently needed to bring this conflict to a resolution. We strongly urge you to advocate for a negotiated peace between the two sides, bringing this awful conflict to a close.
Much of the letter is a summation of the resources the United States has spent bolstering Ukraine’s efforts to fight off Russia, which the lawmakers call a “proxy war” in the letter.
“The recently announced shipments of M1 Abrams tanks will require months of training and transport,” the letter continues. “Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs will similarly take months to arrive. These announcements signal that your administration is settling in for a long-term conflict. The current strategy of sanctions and drawn-out aid will only prolong the conflict, leading to escalation and more violence. Our national and economic security demand an alternative. Unrestrained U.S. aid for Ukraine must come to an end, and we will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”
Other notable signatories included Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), Senator JD Vance (R-OH), and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
