WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, wrote to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urging that the Alliance purchase or lease the Mistral-Class warships France plans to sell to Russia. Rep. Engel was joined by Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), the Chair of the United States Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly; Rep. William R. Keating (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging threats; Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces; Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, in calling for a permanent halt on the sale.

In the bipartisan letter, the lawmakers called for NATO to “purchase or lease the warships as a common naval asset. Such a decisive move by NATO is not without precedent and would show President Putin that our rhetorical resolve is matched by our actual resolve and that this Alliance will not tolerate or abet his dangerous actions in Europe.”

“I appreciate France temporarily suspending the sale of these advanced warships to Russia, but we must find a way to permanently ensure that they do not fall in to Putin’s hands,” said Rep. Engel. “That is why I’m calling for NATO to seize this opportunity to strengthen its own assets while at the same time definitively deny Russia any chance to add to its capabilities.”

Copies of the letter were sent to the Secretary of State Kerry and Defense Secretary Hagel. Text of the letter follows.

November 4, 2014

His Excellency Jens Stoltenberg

Secretary General

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Boulevard Leopold III, 1110

Brussels, Belgium

Dear Mr. Secretary General:

Congratulations on assuming one of the most important jobs in international security. We welcome your installation and look forward to your leadership during these challenging times for the NATO alliance.

On May 29, 2014, we wrote your predecessor on the particular challenge posed by France’s contract to supply two advanced Mistral-class amphibious assault and helicopter carrier warships to the Russian Federation. In that letter, we proposed a solution to keep these warships out of the hands of a government that poses a clear and present threat to the security of certain NATO members, substantially enhance the Alliance’s capabilities at a moment when some members have been cutting defense expenditures, and mitigate any disparate financial burden to France for refusing to transfer the warships to the Government of Russia.

Since we last wrote your office proposing that NATO purchase or lease these warships, Russian government actions have only heightened our concern over this potential transfer and strengthened our resolve to oppose it while exploring creative and constructive options to promote unity among our allies at a time when, to quote French President Francois Hollande, Russia’s actions “contravene the fundamental principles of European security.” Such a transfer should be unthinkable, at the moment, and for as long as Russia’s government maintains its threatening posture toward NATO and occupies territories in neighboring European countries in gross violation of international law.

As we collectively confront the unacceptable actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, every effort must be made to maintain transatlantic unity. Sensitive to the financial burden that France may incur should it rightly refuse to transfer these warships to Russia, we renew our call that NATO purchase or lease the warships as a common naval asset. Such a decisive move by NATO is not without precedent and would show President Putin that our rhetorical resolve is matched by our actual resolve and that this Alliance will not tolerate or abet his dangerous actions in Europe.

We, and many others, have repeatedly urged France to unequivocally refuse to transfer the Mistrals and we appreciate France’s willingness, in the wake of the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, to postpone a final decision on the fate of these warships until later this year. But we cannot be satisfied with any outcome that could see these ships sailing under the Russian flag—now or in the foreseeable future.

While there was a period following the end of the Cold War when Russia was acting cooperatively and could be considered a partner in European stability, that era has sadly, and definitively, come to an end following the attempted illegal annexation of Crimea. We all look forward to a future when we can work constructively with a representative and democratic government in Moscow to secure a Europe, whole, free, and at peace, that day has not come and, for now, it is critical that NATO members cease providing President Putin the means to intimidate or invade countries on Russia’s periphery or even directly confront our allies.

Mr. Secretary General, we would have liked to keep this note a short one of congratulations as you assume an awesome responsibility, but circumstances require timely and decisive action on this urgent matter. We appreciate your consideration of our proposal that NATO purchase or lease these warships, and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel (D-NY)

Ranking Member

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Michael Turner (R-OH)

Chairman

U.S. Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly

William R. Keating (D-MA)

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Mike Rogers (R-AL)

Chairman

Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

Armed Services

Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Steve Chabot (R-OH)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Steve Cohen (D-TN)

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Jim Gerlach (R-PA)

Co-Chair

Congressional Ukrainian Caucus

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A copy of the letter Rep. Engel sent to Secretary General Stoltenberg can be found here