February 15, 2022
Washington, D.C. – With Ukraine facing a massive Russian military build-up on its border, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined their colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee in urging President Joe Biden to ensure that the United States is sharing as much intelligence as possible with the Ukrainian government.
“Vladimir Putin is threatening the freedom and security of the Ukrainian people, and they have shown their eagerness to take action to defend their sovereignty, freedom, and democratically elected government,” the Senators wrote. “To this end, we request that the United States share intelligence with Ukraine to the fullest extent possible. Russia is the aggressor, and we need to arm Ukraine with critical information needed to defend their country. This is in the interest of U.S. national security, as well as that of our allies and partners in the region. Russia’s threats to Ukraine are a threat to democracies around the world, and we urge you to do as much as possible to support Ukraine at this critical moment.”
The letter was signed by every member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA); Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL); and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Burr (R-NC), Ron Wyden (D-OR), James Risch (R-ID), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Bob Casey (D-PA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Ben Sasse (R-NE).
Senators Collins and King recently participated in a virtual conversation on the escalating threat posed by Russia in Eastern Europe with Ambassadors from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. During the discussion, the Senators and seven colleagues stressed the importance of the NATO alliance, their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and their bipartisan commitment to countering Russian aggression in the region. Senator King also recently voiced his concerns in a national interview about Russia’s aggression in the region, and why NATO and the U.S. need to stand with Ukraine.