"Proxy war against Russia": how the US and its allies plan to increase arms supplies to Ukraine

In the coming days, the United States will provide Ukraine with a new $800 million military aid package, including air defense systems.

This was stated by the head of the White House, Joe Biden, during a press conference following the second day of the NATO summit in Madrid.

“In the coming days, we are going to announce (the allocation of another aid package in the amount.

) $ 800 million, including new advanced Western air defense systems, additional artillery and ammunition, counter-battery radars and additional ammunition for the HIMARS systems already transferred to Ukraine, and even more such systems will come from other countries,” Biden said.

At the same time, the head of the White House focused on the fact that the United States "plays a leading role" in the process of supplying weapons to Ukraine.

“Since I took office, we have provided almost $7 billion worth of defense funds to Ukraine,” Biden said.

He also noted that Washington managed to convince 50 countries to "take on new obligations" to assist Kyiv.

“Nearly 140,000 anti-tank systems, more than 600 tanks, almost 500 artillery systems, more than 600,000 artillery shells, as well as advanced multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship systems and air defense systems,” Biden said.

In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron during a press conference promised to promptly supply Kyiv with six self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) CAESAR and armored vehicles.

“France will very quickly supply Kyiv with the necessary weapons, in particular, six more CAESAR self-propelled guns, as well as a significant number of armored vehicles to defend themselves,” he said.

London will provide Kyiv with military assistance in the amount of £1 billion, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced. 

“This increase in funding … will be directed to the supply of such items as modern missile defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, new innovative electronic warfare equipment, as well as the purchase of thousands of pieces of vital equipment for Ukrainian soldiers,” reads a press release posted by on the British government website.

• Symbols of NATO

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According to the British authorities, this step will allow Ukraine to move to "carrying out offensive operations against Russian ground forces."

As noted in the document, since the beginning of the special operation of the Russian Federation, the UK has allocated £2.3 billion to Ukraine for defense needs.

Among the Western allies, only Washington provided greater military assistance to Kyiv.

“To date, support (from London.

) includes the supply of more than 5 thousand NLAW anti-tank missiles manufactured in Northern Ireland, long-range multiple launch rocket systems, artillery systems, including 155-mm self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as fast development and production by a British start-up company of loitering short and medium-range ammunition, ”the press release says.

In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that the alliance supports the idea of ​​providing Ukraine with "a large amount of modern equipment, including Western, and many different types of it."

“In reality, NATO now has the task of helping Ukraine make the transition from old Soviet-style equipment to modern NATO standard,” Stoltenberg said, adding that the Ukrainian side needs a wide range of NATO-style heavy weapons.

"A threat with unpredictable consequences"

Recall that Washington has repeatedly announced the allocation of funds to Kyiv for defense needs.

So, on June 1, the White House press service published an official statement by US President Joe Biden about sending American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine as military assistance.

On June 15, during a telephone conversation with Vladimir Zelensky, the American leader announced a $1 billion defense assistance package for Kyiv. As noted in a statement posted on the White House website, the package included two coastal anti-ship systems with Harpoon missiles, 18 M777 for their transportation, shells for American multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) HIMARS and artillery of 155 mm caliber.

Later, on June 23, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, confirmed on his Twitter the delivery of American HIMARS MLRS to the country.

On the same day, US National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said during a briefing at the White House that Washington would supply Kyiv with another $450 million military aid package. According to him, it would include MLRS, patrol boats and artillery ammunition.

On June 28, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that US arms supplies to Ukraine were raising the threat of escalation.

“The reckless and irresponsible pumping of Ukraine with weapons only spins the spiral of the conflict and increases the threat of further escalation with unpredictable consequences,” Antonov was quoted as saying by the press service of the embassy.

"Course to continue the escalation"

As Sergei Yermakov, a leading expert at the RISS Research Coordination Center, noted, “The United States has led the proxy war against Russia by supplying weapons to Kyiv and involving other countries in this.”

According to him, the United States is doing everything to ensure that the conflict lasts as long as possible.

“Washington is not doing this alone, but with the help of third countries, mainly NATO member states, which it managed to persuade to sign up for this adventure.

In fact, the United States and most of the countries of the alliance have set a course for the continuation of the escalation of tension between the West and Russia.

All this is necessary to contain and counteract the Russian Federation, ”the analyst said in an interview with RT.

In order to achieve these goals, Washington and its allies are ready to increase and increase the frequency of arms deliveries, Yermakov stated.

“For example, the NLAW installations that London supplies to Kyiv are of the type of anti-tank missile systems, they are quite powerful.

Another thing is that, of course, they need to be able to use them correctly, and there are already few military men left in the Armed Forces of Ukraine who have such skills.

The same goes for French CAESARs.

American HIMARS are quite heavy weapons that really allow you to conduct offensive operations.

However, one should not forget that Western weapons are regularly destroyed by the Russian Armed Forces,” Yermakov said.

• Deliveries of Western weapons to Ukraine

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However, according to military expert Ivan Konovalov, all the weapons that the United States and its allies are already supplying to Ukraine or planning to transfer are “not able to turn the tide of hostilities.”

“The fact is that by the time these weapons reach the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia will have already destroyed a huge range of weapons that the Kyiv authorities currently own.

Accordingly, Western weapons will simply come to replace them, but nothing more, ”the analyst explained in a comment to RT.

“The air defense systems announced by the West will not help Kyiv to resolve the situation on the battlefield in its favor: they are only able to cover some segments of the areas where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are deployed, but this will not be enough,” Konovalov said.

As for the NLAW systems, according to the expert, these weapons have already completely compromised themselves during the hostilities in Ukraine.

“The Russian Armed Forces intercept them very quickly, so the use of such systems by the Ukrainian side will certainly not solve anything on the battlefield.

In addition, the Ukrainian troops are demoralized, they lose battle after battle and surrender en masse.

And no supply of weapons to Kyiv will help: Russia will fulfill all the tasks of the special operation that it has set for itself, ”the expert concluded.