Reps Houlahan, Lieu Call on Administration to Deliver Long-Range Missile Defense Systems Ukraine Desperately Needs

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) and Ted Lieu (CA-33) wrote to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, imploring them to quickly consider Ukraine’s request for long-range missile defense systems known as S-300s. In the letter, the lawmakers ask them to take ‘all necessary steps’ to rapidly deliver these effective defense systems to Ukraine.

Their letter reads in part:

“As you know, President Zelenskyy and his team have formally requested S-300s, a long-range missile system originally manufactured by Russia but now held by some of our allies. They have done this publicly on no fewer than three occasions that we are aware of, including on a nationally televised Congressional address on March 16, 2022.  The Biden Administration has affirmed that this system is one which Ukrainians would benefit from and one that we would likely help to provide.”

They added: “With that in mind, we respectfully request the Department of Defense take all necessary steps to ensure the rapid transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine, either through the third-party transfer of the S-300 system or the direct transfer of Patriot systems. U.S. air defense systems such as these will help level the battlespace in Ukraine, and the longer we debate every possible outcome, the longer the Ukrainian people are forced to suffer Putin’s bombardment and violation of their country.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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