WASHINGTON—Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), today welcomed the Biden administration’s announcement that the United States will be sending the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine. With this announcement, the Administration has now committed to sending Ukraine all three weapons systems that CSCE Commissioners requested after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May 2023. This includes F-16 fighter jets and Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Cluster Munitions (DPICMs), along with the ATACMS.
“It is imperative that we provide Ukrainian defenders with the tools necessary to drive out Putin’s army and secure their freedom,” Chairman Wilson said. “While we hoped for faster action, President Biden’s announcement that the United States will be transferring ATACMS to Ukraine marks a crucial step in ensuring that Ukrainian forces have the necessary tools to restore their country’s territorial sovereignty and return peace and stability to the Ukrainian people.”
In May, Chairman Wilson, along with CSCE Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Commissioner Representative Victoria Spartz (IN-05), sent a letter to President Biden, requesting he grant the transfer of ATACMS to Ukraine. The letter emphasized the importance of ATACMS to target Russian frontlines in occupied Ukraine as well as to push back Russian supply chain systems which fuel their genocidal war.
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The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent commission of the U.S. Government charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords and advancing comprehensive security through promotion of human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental, and military cooperation in 57 countries. The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce.
