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Sens. Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, and Sheldon Whitehouse had been in Kyiv on Friday.
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After assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Graham urged the West to ship tanks.
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“Putin is making an attempt to rewrite the map of Europe by drive of arms,” Graham stated.
Sen. Lindsey Graham urged the US and Germany to ship tanks to the Ukrainian army throughout a go to to Kyiv on Friday, as Western protection officers assembly in Germany did not agree on sending the weapons.
The South Carolina Republican visited Ukraine together with Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. The three lawmakers, who’ve been supportive of sending further aide to Ukraine, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“All three of us, one Republican and two Democrats, share the identical purpose — for Ukraine to drive the Russians out of Ukraine. To attain that purpose, the Ukrainian army wants tanks,” Graham stated throughout a press convention after the assembly and on Twitter. “I’m uninterested in the shit present surrounding who’s going to ship tanks and when are they going to ship them. Putin is making an attempt to rewrite the map of Europe by drive of arms. World order is at stake.”
Graham’s request got here as American and German protection officers have been unable to agree on sending battle tanks to Ukraine. Kyiv has known as for NATO and different European nations to ship German-made Leopard 2 tanks, however doing so requires Germany’s approval, as Insider’s Jake Epstein beforehand reported.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated he doesn’t need to authorize sending the German-made tanks to Ukraine except the US sends its personal tanks, based on a number of stories. Kyiv has additionally known as on the US to ship highly effective M1 Abrams tanks, however President Joe Biden has prevented doing so.
Western protection officers who met in Germany on Friday failed to return to an settlement on the matter, sparking criticism from officers in Ukraine and Poland. However officers from each the US and Germany advised the latter should still authorize the Leopards to be despatched and that within the meantime Germany would do a listing of its personal tanks. Poland has additionally stated it could even ship its Leopard tanks to Ukraine with out Berlin’s approval.
“To the Germans: Ship tanks to Ukraine as a result of they want them. It’s in your personal nationwide curiosity that Putin loses in Ukraine,” Graham stated Friday. “To the Biden Administration: Ship American tanks in order that others will observe our lead.”
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