Why does Washington announce all of its weapons to Ukraine?

Washington

- With the Russian war on Ukraine entering its fourth month, the United States did not send its forces to Ukraine, but it is providing the Ukrainian side with weapons, training, and various aids to prevent Moscow from achieving its goals of the war.

Washington provided various weapons, the value of its allocations, until the end of next September, at nearly $53 billion, which puts it in an indirect, albeit calculated, confrontation with Russia.

The United States clearly announces all its weapons to the Ukrainian army, the latest of which was the announcement of sending the MLRS and HIMARS multiple launch systems to Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Washington was inflaming the situation by providing Ukraine with long-range missile systems. "We believe that the United States is deliberately pouring oil on the fire. It is clear that it is sticking to the line that it will fight Russia to the last Ukrainian," he said.

Peskov's statements are consistent with similar statements made by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who claimed that the administration of US President Joe Biden increased the risk of direct clashes between Moscow and Washington by providing Ukraine with missiles.

Aid and weapons without escalation

Military expert John Spencer, a theorist of "modern wars", believes that the Biden administration's decisions to provide these types of weapons are "accurately calculated" and that it does not aim for a direct escalation with Russia.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Spencer indicated that the Biden administration hopes that this Russian war will end when Moscow realizes that it cannot achieve more victories on the ground, "with the limited resources and the continuation of its heavy losses in soldiers and equipment on the one hand, and with the weapons and information provided by the West." On the other hand, the Ukrainian side.

"And Russia may be satisfied with the regions it controls in eastern Ukraine, but this depends on the Ukrainian side's acceptance of these conditions, which I doubt it will accept," he added.

Broken lines of communication

Russian Defense Ministers Sergei Shoigu and US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin have not spoken for several months since the fighting began on February 24.

They spoke for the first time on May 13, when the latter urged his Russian counterpart for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and this was their only call since February 18.

The military expert believes that "since the direct communication between the defense ministers of America and Russia stopped after the start of the war in Ukraine, Washington has resorted to public statements and official statements to communicate its messages clearly to Moscow so that no one will make mistakes related to the intentions and calculations of the other party."

American observers note the keenness of the Biden administration, even before the outbreak of the fighting, to publish its intelligence information, and to publish details of its weapons, equipment and aid to the Ukrainian army.

This publicity allows the Russian side to be informed of Washington's determination to provide full support to the Ukrainian side and prevent Moscow from achieving its goals and winning its war against Kyiv.

Maintain a thoughtful balance

Biden repeated several times a double pledge since the war began, and said, "The United States will not fight Russia in Ukraine, because this means a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia that leads to the outbreak of a third world war, which we must strive to prevent." He reiterated that his country and its allies would work hard to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Moscow.

Washington is pursuing several direct and indirect methods, some of which are traditional, such as providing arms and aid to the Ukrainian side, and some innovative, whether through intelligence or moral support, in order to defeat Russia.

“Sanctions were never enough to deter Russia before the fighting began. After the start of the Russian war, the response of the United States, NATO and the European Union was clearly united and harsh. Sanctions will inflict real pain,” said Alexander Downs, director of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at George Washington University and an expert on international conflicts. the Russian elite, and Western weapons will hinder the inevitability of Russian victory as well.”

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Downs indicated that Washington does not seek to interfere in the fighting, "and I do not imagine that it would change its position on this issue if the equations changed on the ground and the Ukrainian side retreated or came close to defeat. But Washington may change its position in the event of the use of chemical weapons by Russia." or mass massacres on a large scale.

The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) announces - periodically in its data - the total amount of US weapons that have arrived in Ukraine since the start of the war, and the data includes details of the type and number of weapons.

The latest US aid package to Ukraine, worth close to $40 billion, included more than $20 billion for the Pentagon to provide weapons, intelligence, and training, and nearly $14 billion for the State Department for food aid, refugee aid, and other diplomatic programs.

Military expert Spencer believes that publishing all the details of what Ukraine obtains, "missiles, helicopters, drones, howitzers, Javelin and Stinger missiles, and others... aims to send clear messages to Moscow about the nature of defensive weapons Washington provides to the Ukrainian army, which also reflects Washington's determination to support Ukrainian defenses in order to "pressure Russia and push it to a ceasefire and search for an acceptable political settlement."