Republican lawmakers are urging U.S. President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to suspend military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. They warn that a prolonged halt in American aid will have serious negative effects. This was reported by The Hill, writes UNN.
Republicans acknowledge that Trump has the right to temporarily halt arms supplies to Ukraine, pressure NATO allies to increase their contributions, and create a window for negotiations on a peace agreement.
But they warn that stopping the flow of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for too long could have a devastating impact on Ukraine's combat capability, undermining its leverage in negotiations with Russia.
Lawmakers from the Republican Party state that intelligence sharing must be restored immediately.
Senator Thom Tillis (North Carolina), a leading supporter of aid to Ukraine, warned that a pause in assistance could be beneficial for Putin. He said that Ukraine has enough weapons and ammunition to hold the front line, but expressed hope that the pause in military assistance will not be prolonged.
Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Collins (Maine) also stated that she opposes the cessation of military assistance.
Reminder
The U.S. has frozen the provision of intelligence data to Ukraine following the Trump administration's decision to suspend military assistance. Washington has prohibited the United Kingdom from sharing U.S. data with Ukraine; however, the UK intends to provide such data despite U.S. demands.
Aerospace company Maxar Technologies has cut off access to its satellite images for Ukraine.