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Guest Cosponsors Legislation to Provide Lethal Aid to Ukraine

January 27, 2022

The legislation would deter Russian aggression by equipping Ukraine with lethal weaponry

Washington, D.C.  – Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03) has cosponsored H.R. 6367, the Guaranteeing Ukrainian Autonomy by Reinforcing Its Defense (GUARD) Act, a bill to support Ukraine and its people in a potential conflict with Russia.

“Whenever Russia threatens military action against a free and sovereign nation, it’s the duty of NATO and its allies to respond accordingly. America must always project strength, especially toward tyrants like Vladimir Putin who view weakness as opportunity. By bolstering Ukraine’s military, Putin will think twice about attacking a nation that can fight back.”

The GUARD Act would authorize $450 million for Ukraine in Foreign Military Financing and grant Ukraine a level of NATO status that would enable consideration of the sale of certain defense articles and services. It also would authorize $155 million in 2022 for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to promote accurate journalism against Russian disinformation.

In addition to bolstering Ukraine’s defensive capacity, the legislation would establish sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. According to a press release from the House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans, this bill would create Congressional oversight over the Biden Administration’s sanctions against Russia by:

  • Providing Congress a veto over the removal of a wider range of Russia-related sanctions, including those related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the Biden Administration’s April Executive Order 14024 (Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities Of The Government Of The Russian Federation).
  • Establishing a mechanism to require the Administration to review certain persons submitted by Congress for eligibility for Russia-related sanctions.

It would also strengthen diplomatic and military tools to deal with Russia:

  • Reaffirming NATO’s 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration supporting Ukraine and Georgia’s bid to become members of the alliance.
  • Rejecting Russia’s proposal for a deployment moratorium of intermediate-range ground-launched missiles in Europe and requiring a strategy on cooperation with NATO allies on conventional intermediate-range missiles.
  • Calling on the Administration to move expeditiously to submit a nominee for the Ambassador to Ukraine.
  • Requiring a determination on whether the Government of Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism.
  • Limiting security risks related to U.S.-Russian military cooperation.

Congressman Michael Guest represents Mississippi's Third Congressional District. Currently serving his second term, Congressman Guest serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, as a Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and as a Member of the Committee on Ethics.

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