Democrats and Republicans Urge Biden to Relax Ukraine Weapons Restrictions, According to Reuters

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure from both Republicans and fellow Democrats to relax restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons by Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, highlighted recent Russian attacks that resulted in civilian casualties and widespread destruction, emphasizing the need for swift action. "It’s time to allow Ukraine to defend itself against these air attacks more effectively, and the United States should lead in this effort," Cardin stated during a committee hearing.

Despite urgent appeals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the White House has been cautious about permitting U.S.-made weapons to target deep within Russia, concerned that such actions could escalate the conflict.

Republicans have been advocating for the easing of these restrictions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Recently, influential congressional Democrats have also joined in calling for a policy change.

Lawmakers reiterated their demands as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Minister David Lammy met with senior officials in Kyiv. Blinken shared that he discussed long-range weaponry and planned to brief President Biden on his findings, but did not indicate that any restrictions had been removed.

In a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Representative Bill Keating, the leading Democrat on the House Europe subcommittee, urged the administration to permit the use of U.S.-made weapons against military targets within Russian territory.

A coalition of congressional Republicans, including chairs of various committees such as Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence, also issued a letter advocating for the lifting of these restrictions.

On Tuesday, President Biden confirmed that discussions were underway regarding the potential removal of limits on Ukraine’s use of long-range weaponry.