{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=cd9229f4-e2d1-47cf-bf93-5a45880f66e7", "Portman Presses Administration on Misleading Comments Regarding U.S. Military Assistance to Ukraine", "2014-12-05", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 This week, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) called on the Administration to explain misleading comments regarding U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. In a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmation hearing, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Strategic Affairs nominee Elissa Slotkin made misleading comments about U.S. assistance efforts in Ukraine in response to pointed questions from both Democrats and Republicans. Specifically, she presented the $116 million in security assistance the administration has pledged to deliver to Ukraine as the amount of assistance that the United States has actually provided, a misleading claim that the Administration has been unable or unwilling to substantiate by sharing additional details with Congress.\r\n\u201cAt your nomination hearing before the Armed Services Committee today, you made several statements that I find concerning regarding the situation in Ukraine, including your unwillingness to deem Russian actions as an invasion of Ukraine,\u201d Portman wrote. \u201cEven more troubling was your description of aid that has been provided to Ukraine, in which you stated that the United States has \u201cprovided over $116 million worth of security assistance to the Ukrainians.\u201d While this would indeed be an encouraging development, I have not received any information that would confirm the accuracy of this statement and would hope that you did not mean to present aid promised as aid delivered.\u00a0\r\nRecently, Portman spoke on Senate floor about the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine and the need to increase U.S. military assistance. A link to the video and excerpts can be found here.\r\nFull text of the letter can be found below and here.\r\nMs. Elissa Slotkin\r\nPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs\r\n2400 Defense Pentagon   Washington, DC 20301-2400\r\nDear Ms. Slotkin,\r\nI write to you today regarding U.S. efforts to support Ukraine as it struggles to defend its sovereignty against Russian forces and separatists armed and financed by Russia. As you are aware, the situation in Ukraine remains extremely unstable, with multiple attacks on Ukrainian positions in southern and eastern Ukraine every day. Until stability is restored, the democratically elected government of Ukraine the United States has vowed to support will be unable to continue on the path of reform and modernization that the United States has encouraged it to follow.\r\nAt your nomination hearing before the Armed Services Committee today, you made several statements that I find concerning regarding the situation in Ukraine, including your unwillingness to deem Russian actions as an invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0 Even more troubling was your description of aid that has been provided to Ukraine, in which you stated that the United States has \u201cprovided over $116 million worth of security assistance to the Ukrainians.\u201d While this would indeed be an encouraging development, I have not received any information that would confirm the accuracy of this statement and would hope that you did not mean to present aid promised as aid delivered.\u00a0 I\u2019m concerned that after over seven months since the administration first promised non-lethal assistance, the amount of aid actually delivered falls far short of $116 million, and I question whether internal administration policy guidance is further constraining this support. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nWhile I have long advocated for the need to provide defensive, lethal assistance to the Ukrainian military, as this decision continues to be considered there appears to be little intention to swiftly provide the non-lethal aid promised.\u00a0 Despite a letter to the President and repeated staff inquiries, I have yet to receive detailed and up-to-date information on the nature of our security assistance to Ukraine and the administration guidance governing its implementation.\r\nI would appreciate your clarification on the current status of this U.S. security assistance.\u00a0 Specifically:\r\n\u00a0\r\n \r\nHas the United States actually provided $116 million in security assistance to Ukraine as you stated?\r\nIf not, as of today how much of the $116 million in promised military aid has the United States provided?\r\nWhat systems and capabilities have we delivered, and how do they help address Ukrainian capability gaps?\r\nWhat are the criteria used to determine what military equipment and training the U.S. government is authorized to provide?\r\nAdditionally, is there any guidance prohibiting non-lethal assistance deemed to be a \u201cforce multiplier\u201d as media reports suggest?\r\nIf so, how does the administration define the term \u201cforce multiplier\u201d and what equipment and training does this definition cover?\r\n \r\nUkraine needs military capabilities that can defeat the Russian-backed separatists, deter further Russian aggression, and restore stability to the nation. The administration\u2019s complete unwillingness to provide basic information on the execution of U.S. policy in Ukraine, combined with concerning reports that restrictive administrative guidance is limiting the implementation of the President\u2019s own stated policy, is unacceptable.\u00a0 I plan to share my concerns with my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee as it seems appropriate that these basic questions on current activities are answered as we consider your nomination for Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Strategic Affairs.\r\nI look forward to your prompt response to these questions.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=cd9229f4-e2d1-47cf-bf93-5a45880f66e7"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8684140630066395, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}