Lankford Issues Statement on Ukraine Supplemental Aid

WASHINGTON, DC  – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released a statement following passage of the Ukraine Supplemental Aid Package:

“Now is the moment to take President Reagan’s advice and seek ‘peace through strength.’ Reagan fought for eight years for the breakup of the Soviet Union; we should not sit by and watch Putin reassemble that empire again. After Biden’s weak withdrawal from Afghanistan, if the United States abandons the Ukrainian people after three short months of fighting, it will send an unmistakable signal to the Chinese government that if they invade Taiwan, they will only face three months of response from America. Ukraine is winning this war; we should not walk away and hand them defeat. 

“History teaches us that dictators will keep rolling across Europe until they are stopped. The best case scenario is for Ukraine to stop Putin now before he dominates Europe with lethal force and energy control. Oklahomans are paying the price of Biden’s overspending through higher gas and grocery prices, historic inflation, and shortages of basic supplies. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine is making a bad situation worse since Ukraine also supplies energy, steel, fertilizer, agricultural products, and many other supplies to America and the world. We not only need to confront the humanitarian disaster of this unjust war, but we also need to realize the economic consequences to Americans if this war continues.   

“This bill sends weapons systems, food, and supplies to the people of Ukraine while also increasing the support for our military so we can prepare if Putin decides to keep moving his forces west of Ukraine. Two Inspectors General will provide strong oversight, and additional reporting is required within 30 days.   

“We were founded on the principle that we must stand together for freedom, and this bill enables us to do that. We should not give excuses in the future for what should have been done as we watch the fall of Ukraine and the flood of refugees across our nation and all of Europe. Europe has sent $15.6 billion in aid to Ukraine and supported refugees in Eastern Europe; they are sending billions of dollars of military supplies to Ukraine; and they are providing critical support to the Ukrainian government. We are standing with the people of Ukraine, but we are certainly not standing alone.”

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