[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4587-S4588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. President, on another matter, it has been encouraging to see good 
news regarding the Ukrainian people's fight to defend or reclaim their 
sovereignty.
  Latest reports indicate that Ukraine has recently liberated 2,400 
square miles of their own territory from Russian hands.
  The sight of a democratic nation beating back totalitarian aggression 
continues to inspire the free world. It should make other thugs think 
twice about following in Putin's footsteps. But, obviously, it is not 
nearly time to ease up. An axis of authoritarians is still pushing hard 
for Ukraine to fail.
  Iran is equipping the Russian military with armed drones like the 
ones they and their proxies have used against American forces in Syria 
and Iraq and against our Israeli, Emirati, and Saudi partners.
  North Korea is reportedly refilling Russia's artillery stockpiles, 
and the PRC has publicly supported Moscow's narrative through every 
Russian atrocity.

[[Page S4588]]

  So our Ukrainian friends may still face a long, hard struggle to 
achieve victory as they define it, but Western countries can help by 
stepping up the pace of our collective assistance.
  Ukraine's hard-won successes on the battlefield could have come 
actually even earlier if the Biden administration and European allies 
that take their cues from Washington had been quicker and more 
proactive to deliver the capabilities Ukraine actually needed.
  Ukrainian forces are working wonders with Western equipment. They 
have quickly integrated cutting-edge systems like HIMARS and Javelin 
and Stinger missiles.
  The West's hesitance to put these capabilities in the right hands has 
cost lives. Horrors could have been avoided if the Biden administration 
and our European partners hadn't been self-deterred from providing 
these tools sooner.
  The Ukrainians need more of the weapons we have been giving them; 
they need to start getting them faster; and they also need new 
capabilities like longer range, ATACMS, larger drones, and tanks.
  Not all of these weapons need to come from America. Make no mistake, 
our allies are looking to us for signals. President Biden should be 
clear with Western Europe about the need for them to make meaningful, 
specific contributions to Ukraine and to do it quickly.
  He should be clear with our allies that our defense holiday is over. 
It is time for all of us to rebuild our militaries and defense 
industrial bases. This will take urgent investments, regulatory reform, 
and prioritization to expand our capacity to produce critical munitions 
and systems. These short- and long-term steps alike are in Europe's 
vital interests, America's vital interests, and the entire free 
world's.
  Beijing, Tehran, and other authoritarian regimes cannot think for 1 
minute that trampling free people's sovereignty will go unpunished.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.