The Alphen
Group
Geopolitics, Strategy and Innovation
Mr Mitch McConnell, US Senate
Mr Chuck Schumer, US Senate
Mr Hakeem Jeffries, US House of Representatives
Mr Steve
Scalise, US House of Representatives
December 18th, 2023
Sirs,
Open letter to the Leaders of the United States Congress
The undersigned members of The Alphen Group (TAG) urge the United
States Congress to approve expeditiously the Administration’s request for
continuation of assistance to Ukraine, a sovereign nation that was attacked
without provocation by Russia and now is valiantly defending its territory,
democracy, and the rule of law.
Ukraine’s fight is not only in defense of its own sovereignty and
territory, but also on behalf of the West, its values and way of life, which
Russia seeks to replace with an international system more welcoming for
dictatorships. Russian President Vladimir Putin has no apparent intention to
reverse Russia’s aggression or to seek a negotiated settlement on any terms
other than complete victory. The United States and its allies must help Ukraine
prevent Russia from winning a victory that would both be disastrous for the
people and country of Ukraine and threatening the future security of the United
States and its allies.
We do not take this position lightly but rather following debate
among ourselves around the costs and benefits of a variety of US and NATO
policy approaches. This war is at a tipping point at which decisions made by
the United States and its NATO allies and partners will determine whether the
outcome is favorable to their interests or disastrous for Ukraine and the West.
The West must convince Putin that time is not on his side. American aid
combined with continued European assistance will do that. Failure of the United
States to lead would create conditions for a Russian victory.
Strong action supporting Ukraine at this point would fundamentally
strengthen NATO cohesion. The European NATO allies have made important
contributions to Ukraine’s defenses and aspirations to become a member of the
European Union (EU) and NATO. The EU’s recent decision to open membership
negotiations with Ukraine was a major step forward toward Ukraine’s goal of
joining Europe and the West. We are urging European and Canadian leaders and
parliamentarians to continue their support. In many cases,
European allies have been the first to provide certain categories of weapons,
such as tanks and longer-range missiles. They have paid large costs
implementing sanctions against Russia and shifting away from dependence on
Russian energy.
Ukraine is still resolute, but it lacks the means to achieve
decisive battlefield results.
Accordingly, the United States needs to accelerate the delivery of
fighter aircraft and long-range artillery that Ukraine must have to succeed and
end the conflict. If implemented
beginning in early 2024, Ukraine can be equipped with the capabilities it needs
to succeed by year’s end.
Not continuing U.S. support for Ukraine would be a huge failure of
bipartisan foreign and defense policy and would weaken America’s leadership
internationally as well as in Europe. Importantly, reaffirmed U.S. and European
support would send a strong message to China, Iran and other authoritarian
regimes that aggression against their neighbors cannot succeed.
A Ukrainian success in 2024 would have far-reaching effects, not
only in Europe but globally. A defeated Russian military cannot pose a direct threat
to its neighbors for years to come. Aggressive and authoritarian regimes like
China, North Korea and Iran would be chastened, not encouraged. The stability
of the international system and the rule of law would be strengthened. Global food security and supply chain
disruptions would be eased. Most importantly, the prospects for direct conflict
with the Russian Federation would be greatly reduced with a Ukraine whole and
free.
For these reasons, we urge Members of Congress of both parties to
recognize the critical importance of maintaining and increasing support for
Ukraine, on behalf of U.S. interests and those of the international system more
broadly. Any other choice would represent a failure of U.S. leadership, opening
the door to a much more dangerous world in the future.
Michal Baranowski, Poland, Director,
German Marshall Fund of the United States
Rob Bertholee, The Netherlands, former
Director-General Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service
John Bruni, Australia, Founder/CEO, Sage
International, Australia
Paul Beaver, United Kingdom, former
Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Defence Committee
Robert Bell, United States, former NATO
Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment, and Defense Advisor, US
Mission to NATO
Hans Binnendijk, United States, former
Special Assistant to the President for Defense Policy
Henrich Brauss, Germany, former NATO
Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Planning
Jan Broeks, The Netherlands, former Director-General,
NATO Military Staff
Kerry Buck, Canada, former Canadian
Ambassador to NATO
Vincenzo Camporini, Italy, former Chief
of Defense Italian Armed Forces
Ivo Daalder, United States, U.S.
Ambassador to NATO, 2009-2013
Marta Dassù, Italy, Senior Advisor for
European Affairs, Aspen Institute Italia
Gordon B. Davis, Jr. United States,
Major General, U.S. Army (ret), former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General
Sławomir Dębski, Poland, Director of the
Polish Institute of International Affairs
Camille Grand, (France), former NATO
Assistant Secretary-General for Defence Investment
Sir Christopher Harper, United Kingdom,
former Director-General, NATO International Military Staff
Ben Hodges, United States, former
Commander, United States Army Europe
James Holland, United Kingdom, Historian
R.D. Hooker, Jr., United States, former
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia,
National Security Council
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, The Netherlands,
former NATO Secretary General
Peter Hudson, United Kingdom, former
Commander, NATO Maritime Command
Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Lithuania, former
NATO Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management
Karl-Heinz Kamp, Germany, former President
of the Federal Academy for Security Policy
Sarah Kirchberger, Germany, Director,
Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University
Thomas Kleine Brockhoff, Germany,
Director, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Berlin
Imants Liegis, Latvia, former Minister
of Defence and Ambassador
Julian Lindley French, United Kingdom,
Chairman, The Alphen Group
Stephen Neil MacFarlane, Canada, former
Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Relations, Oxford University
Antonio Missiroli, Italy, former NATO
Assistant Secretary-General for Emerging Security Challenges
Zaneta Ozolina, Latvia, Professor,
Chair, Latvian Foreign Affairs Council
Giampaolo di Paola, Italy, former
Chairman, NATO Military Committee and Minister of Defence of Italy
Jean-Paul Perruche, France, former Head
of the EU Military Staff
Eric Povel, The Netherlands, former NATO
Public Affairs Officer
Sten Rynning, Denmark, Professor of
Business and Social Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
Diego Ruiz Palmer, United States, former
NATO Special Advisor for Net Assessment
Paul Schulte, United Kingdom, former
Director of Proliferation and Arms Control, UK Ministry of Defence
Hanna Shelest, Ukraine, Director of
Security Studies and Global Outreach, Foreign Policy Council, Ukrainian Prism
Richard Shirreff, United Kingdom, former
NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander
Stanley R. Sloan, United States, former
Senior Specialist, International Security Policy, Congressional Research
Service
Carsten Sondergaard, Denmark, former
Ambassador to NATO and to Russia
Stefano Stefanini, Italy, former
Ambassador to NATO
Jim Townsend, United States, former
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy
Patrick Turner, United Kingdom, former NATO
Assistant Secretary-General for Operations; Assistant Secretary-General for
Policy and Planning
Sandy Vershbow, United States, former
NATO Deputy Secretary General and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Peter Watkins, United Kingdom, former
Director General, Security Policy, Strategy & International, UK Ministry of
Defence
Anna Wieslander, Sweden, Chair of the
Board, Institute for Security and Development Policy
Rob de Wijk, The Netherlands, Professor and Founder Hague Centre for Strategic
Studies
All signatories participate
in a personal capacity.
