U.S. Congressmen Joint Letter: Call for Resumption of Arms Shipments to Ukraine

Key Chapter Title List

1. Letter Background and Core Appeal: Concerns Regarding the Suspension of Military Aid to Ukraine
2. Strategic Logic: The Link Between Ukrainian Victory and Deterring China
3. Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Challenges and Solutions
4. Urgency of Restoring Shipments and Strategic Objectives
5. Four Specific Inquiries and Demands Directed at the Department of Defense
6. List of Co-signing Members of Congress (Excerpt)

Document Introduction

On July 2, 2025, a group of U.S. Members of Congress sent a joint letter to Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge A. Colby, expressing serious concern over the Department of Defense's recent decision to suspend shipments of a series of critical munitions to Ukraine. The suspended weapon systems include Patriot air defense interceptors, air-to-air missiles, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, surface-to-surface rockets, artillery shells, and Stinger portable air defense missiles. The lawmakers noted that this decision stems from a review of the Pentagon's ammunition stockpiles. Based on the urgent needs on the Ukrainian battlefield and the broad strategic consequences of a potential Russian victory, the letter's core demand is to urge the Department of Defense to immediately reverse this decision and resume the vital shipments of munitions to Ukraine.

The letter constructs a critical logical chain at the strategic level, directly linking the situation in Ukraine to the United States' long-term deterrence of China. The lawmakers acknowledge China as the United States' sole near-peer competitor and emphasize that ensuring America's ability to deter and, if necessary, defeat China is the paramount near- and long-term concern. They further argue that the Chinese threat is amplified by its deepening cooperation with Russia. Should Russia prevail in Ukraine, the strategic challenges posed by the Sino-Russian partnership would deepen, and Russia could potentially make its vast Defense Industrial Base (DIB) available to China in the event of an Indo-Pacific conflict. Therefore, the lawmakers contend that part of the necessity for deterring China lies in ensuring Ukraine's victory, describing this strategy as maintaining advantage through subtraction.

Regarding the issue of U.S. stockpiles, the lawmakers acknowledge that American inventories have been reduced due to global assistance to allies. However, they argue that the solution should not be to halt aid to Ukraine but to laser-focus on accelerating and strengthening the United States' own Defense Industrial Base. They stress that a robust DIB is one of the most powerful tools for deterring China today and point out that in any Pacific contingency, the U.S. will require vast stockpiles of missiles, artillery shells, and small, inexpensive drones. The letter expresses a willingness to cooperate with the Department of Defense on this objective.

The lawmakers emphasize that resuming arms shipments to Ukraine is crucial to ensuring Ukraine can withstand Russian bombardment and aggression in the coming months. It is also a necessary means to pressure President Putin into accepting peace negotiations acceptable to Ukraine, NATO, and the United States. They explicitly state that the goal of a negotiated peace, as proclaimed by the current administration, can only be achieved by applying pressure on Russia.

The final section of the letter formally requests the Department of Defense to respond by July 10, 2025, on four specific points: First, to provide Members with a classified briefing on the status of U.S. munitions stockpiles and explain the review process. Second, to elaborate on how the U.S. is accelerating and strengthening its Defense Industrial Base to simultaneously meet the needs of deterring China and continuing to support allies like Ukraine. Third, to assess the impact of the suspension of weapons shipments on Ukraine. Fourth, to clarify whether the Department of Defense has also suspended ammunition shipments to other regions. The letter is co-signed by over forty bipartisan Members of Congress, reflecting the high level of cross-party attention this issue commands within the legislature. This document provides primary source text for analyzing the domestic U.S. debate on military aid policy for Ukraine, its connection to China strategy, and the challenges facing defense industrial capacity.