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'DEAR COLLEAGUE' LETTER TO SUPPORT ASSISTANCE TO #NATO ALLIES Provide Deterrent to #Russian Aggression in #Ukraine June 16, 2015 Dear Friends of Ukraine, Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-9) is initiating a "Dear Colleague" letter to support the proposed plan to send additional military weaponry to NATO allies in light of the continued assault and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Russian-backed rebels. Media sources indicate that additional military assistance would be provided to Baltic and Eastern European NATO countries to deter against further Russian aggression in the region. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter needs to approve the proposed additional military assistance to our NATO allies. The decision would be expected in advance of the June 24-25 NATO defense ministerial meeting in Brussels. Below, please find a draft letter to Secretary of Defense Carter. Your support of the "Dear Colleague" letter would be greatly appreciated. Signatures will be collected until COB Wednesday, June 17, 2015. Please communicate with Dylan Sodaro in Rep Pascrell's office at 202 225-5751. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Letter Text Dear Defense Secretary Carter, In light of Russia’s continued violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we believe the United States must act to reassure our NATO allies, such as Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, who are unnerved by Russia's intervention in Ukraine and to deter further aggression. It is our worry that Russia will try and destabilize the region to test the level of NATO's commitment of collective defense. In order to protect, our allies NATO's deterrence must involve a real military presence in the region. As a result, we respectfully ask you bolster support for the six regional command-and-control centers in order to reinforce the defenses of our allies. It is clear that Russia's actions have escalated the conflict in Ukraine in violation of the Minsk Agreements. Russia is continuing to send uninspected convoys of cargo trucks, weapons, and soldiers into eastern Ukraine, which has contributed to the deaths of at least 6,350 people, including 625 women and children, and an estimated 2 million displaced people. We worry that Russia talks of peace, but keeps fueling the conflict and that we cannot trust President Putin’s at his word, which is why we need to support our NATO allies in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. As the administration continues to weigh providing Ukraine with the defensive military assistance Congress has authorized, we respectfully urge you to provide the increase in support and equipment that our NATO allies need for training and exercises in order to defend against further Russian aggression in the region. These efforts will bolster the efforts of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, which has the support of Germany, Spain, Britain, France, Italy and Poland and was designed to ensure NATO is ready to respond swiftly and firmly to new security challenges after President Putin’s annexed Crimea and continued involvement in eastern Ukraine. Sincerely,
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