Sen. Mitt Romney called for the U.S. to supply MiG jets to Ukraine. AP Photo: Alex Brandon, Pool.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an exchange with a member of the Biden administration on Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) asked bluntly why the United States has not sent more military hardware to the Ukrainians.
Specifically, he asked about the MiG fighter jet, made by Russia and familiar to Ukrainian pilots.
“There is no logic which has been provided to this committee or to the nation,” Sen. Romney said, “for the lack of rapidity in making this decision.
“It makes no sense,” he told Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs in the State Department.
The exchange came after the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. opposed Poland’s transfer of MiG-29 jets to Ukraine.
According to a CNN report, Austin said the U.S. doesn’t approve of this transfer “at this time,” because the idea presented logistical challenges.
On Tuesday night, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the administration would continue to consult with Poland and the U.S. NATO allies.
On Monday, March 1, four days after it first began its attack, Russia issued a statement threatening the “danger of consequences” to nations that provided weapons to Ukraine and were used against Russian troops.
“I believe there’s a sentiment that we’re fearful about what Putin might do,” Romney said on Wednesday. “And what he (Putin) might consider as an escalation.
“It’s time for him to be fearful of what we might do.”
On a threat issued by Putin weeks ago, Romney questioned whether Putin and his army are in a position to be issuing threats.
“The truth of the matter is his military is exposed in Ukraine—bogged down, unfed, without fuel, they are in a very precarious position,” Romney said.
“He has to think about what happens if he provokes us. Because they could be obliterated by the forces of NATO.”
Romney asked Lewis to return to the State Department to remind them that both the Republican and Democrat caucuses are united on helping to arm the Ukrainians.