The United States has said it will send more artillery to Ukraine to help repel a renewed Russian military offensive that is sending thousands of additional troops to the south and east as it prepares for the next phase of nearly eight weeks of prolonged invasion.
Joe Biden, the president of the United States, made the announcement during a visit to New Hampshire on Tuesday, answering a “yes” question to reporters as to whether the Pentagon would send more artillery.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby later said: “If Ukrainians want more artillery support, then we will do what we can to get more artillery support.”
The United States is expected to announce another round of lethal aid in the coming days, two U.S. officials said. The package is expected to be worth about $ 800 million and will include artillery, as well as anti-armor and anti-aircraft equipment, one official said.
Jen Psaki, a White House spokeswoman, said Biden had discussed providing more ammunition and security aid during talks with allies, including the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom. The leaders of the European Council, NATO and the European Commission also took part.
The promise to provide more weapons came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Western military aid did not meet the country’s needs.
“If we had access to all the weapons we need, which our partners have and which are comparable to the weapons used by Russia, we would already be ending this war,” Zelensky said in an evening address.
Biden’s promise to send more artillery was not shared by some Western allies, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was under internal pressure to supply both tanks and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in preparation for a renewed Russian attack.
Russia confirmed on Tuesday that it has launched an offensive in the Donbass region, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying Moscow wants “complete liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics” – two Ukrainian-separatist-held territories claiming the entire Donbass. Zelenski said the renewed attack began on Monday night.
However, the United States offered a more nuanced assessment, with a senior defense official saying Russia was conducting “limited” operations in eastern Ukraine, which were “preludes to larger offensive operations.”
“While there are these ground battles, they still continue to add to their capabilities, logistics and endurance,” the official said.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the purpose of Moscow’s invasion is to take over Donbass, Ukrainian authorities are worried that the offensive may precede attempts to seize territory in the rest of the country.
Recommended
The United States expanded military aid to Ukraine last week by announcing a new $ 800 million aid package, including heavy artillery, helicopters and armored personnel carriers. The United States has pledged $ 2.5 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February.
Russia is trying to learn from its failures in Kyiv, where supplies were quickly cut short. He has moved thousands of troops to southern and eastern Ukraine, including two battalion tactical groups over the past 24 hours. The United States estimates that Putin has about 75 percent of Russia’s combat power before the invasion, the senior official said.
As the battle for Mariupol continued, the Pentagon said the city was still contested. If Russia succeeds in capturing Mariupol, it will free thousands more troops for battle in Donbass, the official added.
Additional reports from Max Seden in Riga and Guy Chazan in Berlin
Add Comment