"Part of the image": what is known about the next package of US military assistance to Ukraine

The Pentagon announced the allocation of additional security assistance to Kyiv in the amount of $270 million, according to a press release from the US Department of Defense.

“This includes the allocation of funds announced by President Biden within the framework of presidential powers (to provide Ukraine.

) security assistance in the amount of up to $ 175 million, as well as $ 95 million from the funds of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI),” the press service informs Pentagon.

As noted in the report, in contrast to the presidential authority to allocate funds, USAI is a mechanism under which the United States does not supply equipment from the stocks of the country's Department of Defense, "but purchases products from the industrial sector."

“This statement (on the next package for $ 270 million 

) marks the beginning of the process of concluding contracts for the provision of additional funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the press release says.

The new military aid package for Kyiv includes four HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 580 Phoenix Ghost loitering ammunition, 36,000 105mm rounds, four command and staff vehicles, anti-tank weapons, spare parts and “other equipment.”

At the same time, the Pentagon stressed that the United States continues to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with the funds "necessary to meet its changing needs on the battlefield."

Meanwhile, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Jake Sullivan, speaking on July 22 at the Aspen Institute Security Forum in Colorado, said that Washington does not intend to supply Kyiv with ATACMS guided tactical ballistic missiles with a range of 300 km for the HIMARS MLRS.

“There are certain funds that, according to the president, he is not ready to provide.

One of them is ATACMS long-range missiles,” Sullivan said.

“The key goal is not to end up in a situation in which we will move on the path to a third world war.”

• Pentagon

• Gettyimages.ru

• © Bettmann

The assistant to the head of the White House recalled that Congress approved a package of $ 40 billion for military assistance to Ukraine, a significant part of which, as he noted, has not yet been spent.

At the same time, Sullivan expressed hope for congressional bipartisan support for the further release of these resources, adding that the United States will continue to increase arms supplies to Kyiv.

“We provided (Ukraine.

) equipment worth a total of several billion dollars and, moreover, by the standards of any rational historical analysis, lightning fast.

And we will continue to do so, ”said Biden’s national security adviser.

At the same time, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council (NSC), said during a July 22 briefing that the Ministry of Defense is studying the possibility of sending American fighter jets to Ukraine, however, according to him, this will not happen in the near future.

Supply volumes

Recall, according to the Pentagon, during the Joe Biden administration, the United States spent about $8.2 billion on military assistance to the Ukrainian authorities.

At the same time, $7.6 billion was allocated by Washington for the needs of Kyiv and the Armed Forces of Ukraine during Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

According to the press service of the US Department of Defense, Washington sent the Kyiv regime more than 1.4 thousand Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), more than 6.5 thousand Javelin anti-tank systems, 126 155 mm howitzers and shells for them.

In addition, among the military aid supplied to Kyiv are two NASAMS air defense systems, 20 Mi-17 helicopters, hundreds of armored vehicles, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs), more than 10,000 grenade launchers and small arms, as well as over 59 million rounds of ammunition for it.

The US has also sent more than 700 Switchblade drones, about 700 Phoenix Ghost tactical drones and Puma UAVs to Kyiv.

In addition, the United States transferred 16 HIMARS MLRS to Ukraine, including four HIMARS from a new $270 million military aid package.

At the same time, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, this month the Russian Armed Forces have already destroyed four HIMARS MLRS and one transport-loading vehicle with ground-based and air-based high-precision weapons.

“Of these, two launchers were liquidated in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Malotaranovka, another HIMARS and a transport-loading vehicle - in the Krasnoarmeysk region, and a fourth launcher - on the eastern outskirts of Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic," the report of the Russian military department says.

"Trying to Save Face"

As military expert Yuri Knutov noted, given the actions of the Russian Armed Forces to destroy American weapons in Ukraine, as well as the very nature of US supplies, Washington's efforts to transfer weapons to the Kyiv regime will not be able to significantly affect the course of Russia's special operation in Ukraine.

“Despite the fact that by supplying weapons to Kyiv, the United States wants to create the maximum escalation of hostilities, to drag them out and exhaust the Russian Armed Forces, this will not prevent the Russian military from completing all tasks during the special operation,” the analyst said in an interview with RT.

According to Knutov, as part of its aspirations to wage a proxy war “to the last Ukrainian,” Washington is trying to increase the number of HIMARS in Ukraine and other types of weapons, but this will not help the Armed Forces of Ukraine much on the battlefield.

• Ukrainian military with Javelin anti-tank systems

• AP

• © Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service

“In just two weeks, the Russian Armed Forces managed to destroy four such MLRS.

Not to mention the fact that Washington is still unable to solve the main task - to inflict critical damage on Russian troops implementing a plan to demilitarize Ukraine.

HIMARS are not suitable for inflicting serious damage on the Russian army, but they perfectly perform the function of terrorizing civilians during shelling of peaceful cities of the LPR and DPR, ”the analyst noted.

As for the possible supply of American fighter jets by Washington to Kyiv, according to Knutov, if the Biden administration still manages to send a batch of such aircraft to Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces will be able to neutralize this threat, since they have sufficient forces and means.

“If the United States agrees on the delivery of, for example, F-15s or F-16s, they will send a small number, since there are not so many pilots in Ukraine who could fly them and perform combat missions - now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are mainly recruits and representatives of the defense ', the analyst said.

Researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin also does not rule out the possible delivery of F-16 aircraft to Kyiv.

“But here a lot depends on their modification - it is unlikely that the United States will supply Ukraine with the latest versions of the F-16.

If these are outdated models, then it will not be difficult for our air defense systems to neutralize their threat in the theater of operations, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

According to Blokhin, Washington's statements about the possible supply of fighter jets to Kyiv, as well as the announcement of another military aid package, are "an attempt to save face."

“It is important for them that the world sees that the American authorities support Ukraine.

This is part of the current image of the United States and such an artificial unifying bond for Western countries, which the White House does not intend to abandon, ”the analyst is sure.

But this does not bother anyone in the US Congress and the Biden administration, so Washington will continue to increase arms supplies to Kyiv, Blokhin believes.

“Even if, as a result of the November congressional elections, the Republicans regain their majority, it is unlikely that representatives of the Republican Party will be engaged in peacekeeping in the context of the Ukrainian issue.

There are many Russophobes among them who want to hit Russia as much as possible - a bipartisan consensus has developed in the US Congress on this issue, ”the expert said.

However, according to Blokhin, the United States is now “in a geopolitical impasse,” because, despite a strong desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in Ukraine, American politicians are not up to such a task.

“Washington wants to cause serious damage to Russia, but even at the expense of supplying weapons to the Kyiv authorities, it does not succeed.

In addition to the effective actions of the Russian Armed Forces to destroy Western weapons, due to corruption in Ukraine, American weapons are being sold on the darknet to different countries.

And this will come back to haunt the United States, since American weapons will be used against their own military in different parts of the world, ”concluded the expert.