The $ 800 million list is guided not only by direct demands from Ukraine, but also in preparation for a new type of battle in the open plains of southeastern Ukraine right next to Russia, a terrain that plays into Russia’s natural military advantages.
The new weapons package is the clearest sign so far that the war in Ukraine is changing – and with it the weapons Ukraine will need if it hopes to continue to stop the Russian army, which is regrouping and supplying after its initial failures. during the first weeks of the war.
The Biden administration said the new package includes 11 Mi-17 helicopters originally intended for Afghanistan, 18,155 mm howitzers and another 300 Switchblade drones, in addition to radar systems capable of tracking incoming fire and determining its origin. .
This package stands out from previous security aid in part because this tranche includes more complex and heavier weapons than previous shipments. A US official tells CNN that this is deliberate, claiming that because Russia, which failed to take Kyiv, has shifted its strategy to concentrating forces in eastern Ukraine, the United States is changing its own strategy in what it gives Ukraine. .
“The trousers of what they need are very different,” said the American official.
The new authorized package was announced days after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Millie spent more than two hours on the phone with Ukrainian counterparts reviewing the requests. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin also spoke twice with Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov in the past week. Reznikov gave an update on the situation on the ground, which allowed Austin to determine what weapons Ukraine needs most.
Biden broke the news of the aid package during a 58-minute phone call with Zelensky from the Oval Office on Wednesday. There was one element that Zelensky asked for directly from Biden: Mi-17 helicopters. According to a source, the helicopters were not originally included in the package as of Tuesday night, as US officials were unaware whether Ukrainians wanted or needed them at the time. Zelenski made it clear to the president on Wednesday that they were doing so.
A bit like Kansas
The weapons provided are focused on the type of fighting that is likely to be fought in the Donbass region – open terrain, rather than close fighting in urban and wooded areas around Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. The region also borders southwestern Russia, allowing Russian forces to avoid the problems of subsistence, logistics and communication that have derailed their overall invasion of the country almost from the beginning.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that the package was in line with the Battle of Donbass, a topography he described as “a bit like Kansas”.
“It’s a little flatter. It’s a little more open. And this is where we can predict that the Russians will want to use long-range tanks and fire, artillery and rocket fire to achieve some of their goals before conducting ground forces, “Kirby said.
The new weapons package, Kirby added, is “a great effort to give the Ukrainians every possible advantage in this upcoming battle.”
The Biden administration is facing bipartisan pressure to do more to help Ukraine, especially in calls for more powerful weapons. But the administration has resisted for weeks, fearing how Russian President Vladimir Putin will respond, with forces already deployed. Officials have warned that the Kremlin could see this as an escalator or an indication that the United States is joining the battle.
The problem was most acute with the MiG-29 fighters requested by Ukraine. The administration refused to participate in the transfer of Soviet-era aircraft from a third country to Ukraine through the United States, rejecting Poland’s offer.
The United States is worried, Kirby said on March 9, that “the transfer of fighter jets right now could be mistaken by Mr Putin and the Russians as an escalation step.” Much of the internal concern was about the proposal for them to fly to Ukraine from a NATO air base.
It now seems that the rhetoric of the Biden administration has changed along with the scope of the war. As the United States prepares to send weapons that it has not sent since the invasion, the Pentagon has insisted that this is part of a U.S. commitment “from the beginning” to help Ukraine defend itself.
“How are the Russians interpreting this – you can ask Mr Putin and the Kremlin,” Kirby said on Wednesday.
“Very fast elsewhere”
For weeks, Zelensky begged world leaders for more weapons and equipment. In March, he spoke with the parliaments of 17 countries, as well as with three international organizations. He has never strayed far from his main message: Ukraine needs more weapons.
He asked Congress for new air defense systems to help protect Ukraine’s skies. He demanded 1% of NATO tanks and planes to fight Russian forces. And he called for more weapons from Belgium, warning that if Ukraine loses, it loses the European Union.
But his calls for heavier firepower went largely unanswered. For the most part, the countries sent more small arms ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as protective and medical equipment.
Now that Russian forces are preparing for a massive attack in the Donbass region, the tide is turning.
“The range of what people are willing to provide has grown significantly over the past few weeks,” he said. After Ukrainian forces managed to hold off the Russian invasion for the first few days, they put security options “very quickly elsewhere.”
Slovakia has provided Ukraine with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. The Czech Republic sent T-72 tanks. The United Kingdom has announced that it will send 120 armored vehicles to Ukraine. And now the United States has authorized a number of new and more powerful weapons.
As a sign of aid coordination for Ukraine, the European Union has announced that it will provide another $ 544 million in aid on the same day that the White House approved its own $ 800 million.
The Pentagon says it is working as fast as possible
The package, announced Wednesday, was the first time the United States provided Ukraine with howitzer guns. Kirby said several systems would require additional training for Ukrainians to use, including howitzers and anti-artillery radars.
Many of the weapons destined for Ukraine are heavier, making them more difficult to transport across the country. Ukraine has collected weapons so far from the United States and other countries on its western border before transferring them to the country’s forces.
Kirby said the Pentagon knew “time is not our friend” as Russia prepares its next offensive, but is working to move equipment into Ukraine’s hands as soon as possible:
“Even before it was announced, we were moving at a very, very fast speed, all the other security aid we were providing, to be honest, at an unprecedented rate.
CNN’s Barbara Starr and Alex Marquard contributed to this report.
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