“Playing with fire”: why the United States promised to meet the urgent and long-term military needs of Ukraine

Washington's military assistance is focused on the immediate and long-term needs of Kyiv, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing.

“We will continue to provide for both urgent and long-term needs (Ukraine.

).

This is evidenced by the latest announcement (about providing assistance for $ 3 billion -

),” she said.

According to a White House spokesman, weapons under the latest military assistance package will begin to arrive "in the next few months" and will continue to be delivered "in the coming years."

“She (military assistance for $ 3 billion

) is aimed at supporting Ukraine's defense capability in the long term,” Jean-Pierre added.

“As you can see, we consistently support Ukraine.”

The spokeswoman stressed that funds for the defense needs of Kyiv are allocated thanks to the "joint efforts of both parties" - the Republican and Democratic.

“And these efforts will continue.

Every day we discuss with the Ukrainian government what else they might need,” she said.

Karine Jean-Pierre also recalled that under the current US President Joe Biden, the American side allocated an unprecedented amount of military assistance to Kyiv - about $13.5 billion.

As the Pentagon clarified earlier, of this amount, about $12.9 billion was spent on the defense needs of Kyiv after the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine.

Since February 24, American military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine includes the supply, in particular, of 16 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and hundreds of GMLRS precision-guided missiles for them, eight NASAMS air defense systems and related ammunition, Harm high-speed anti-location missiles, and 1.5 thousand TOW anti-tank guided missiles with tubular launcher, optical tracking and wired control.

In addition, Washington transferred to Kyiv more than 1.4 thousand Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), 126 155 mm howitzers and more than 800 thousand shells for them, more than 8.5 thousand Javelin anti-tank systems, 20 Mi-17 helicopters , 200 armored personnel carriers (APCs) M113, more than 10 thousand grenade launchers and small arms, as well as over 59 million rounds of ammunition for it.

• Pentagon

• Gettyimages.ru

• © Westend61

In addition to firearms and heavy weapons, the United States is supplying the Kyiv regime with drones.

Earlier, Washington announced the transfer of more than 700 Switchblade unmanned aerial vehicles, over 120 Phoenix Ghost tactical UAVs and Puma drones to Ukraine.

In addition, 15 Sky Eagle UAVs are listed in the latest US military aid package.

Led by Washington

At the same time, the United States not only pumps Ukraine with weapons, but also provides it with assistance in other areas as part of countering Russia.

According to CNN, citing sources among American and Western officials, Washington is participating in the preparation of the so-called counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“In preparation for the current counter-offensive, the United States urged Kyiv to limit the scope of the operation in terms of its objectives and geography in order to avoid overstretching forces and their bogging down on several fronts,” the material says.

According to American journalists, on the eve of the "counteroffensive" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the United States "simulated the development of military operations."

We are talking about “analytical exercises” designed to help Ukrainian troops understand what forces they need to use in order to “succeed in various scenarios.”

In addition, according to CNN, an unnamed US administration official said that in recent months, Kyiv has been asking Washington for weapons "suited specifically for the planned counteroffensive in the south."

“According to him (source. -

) the United States has satisfied many of these requests, including the transfer of additional ammunition, artillery and Javelin anti-tank systems as part of several presidential aid packages provided to Ukraine over the past two months,” the journalists write.

They also note that throughout Russia's special operation in Ukraine, the United States has regularly provided Kyiv with military advice and intelligence.

Recall that back in March, Jen Psaki, who at that time held the position of press secretary of the White House, said during a briefing that the United States is providing Ukraine with intelligence information about the combat situation in real time, which Kyiv can use to develop a military response to Russia.

She also noted that the Ukrainian authorities allegedly receive a significant amount of data on the plans and actions of the Russian Federation.

• American and Ukrainian military during exercises

• globallookpress.com

• © Keystone Press Agency / Serhii Hudak

In turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the American side provides Kyiv with intelligence using not only military, but also civilian and private satellites.

As noted in the department, this leads to the "militarization of outer space."

In addition, the United States is actively involved in the training of the Ukrainian military.

As John Kirby, who at that time held the position of Pentagon press secretary, said at the end of April, in various countries, including Germany, American fighters are training representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the use of howitzers transferred by Washington.

"Walk on the edge of a knife"

As Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted, Washington’s promise to satisfy both urgent and long-term military needs of Ukraine suggests that the US authorities are set up for a long-term confrontation with Russia “by the hands of Ukrainians and are ready to continue pumping Kyiv with weapons” .

“The White House hopes that due to their arms supplies, the conflict in Ukraine will become long and exhausting.

The calculation is to delay the complete fall of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with their military assistance and make American assistance in demand for Ukraine for many years, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

However, Batyuk doubts that the production capabilities that the United States has will continue to be enough for the uninterrupted supply of weapons to the Kyiv regime. 

“In Ukraine, the supply of Javelin anti-tank systems alone, the shortage of which is already observed in the United States, will not be enough.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine need heavier weapons, in particular, more MLRS HIMARS.

But Washington made it clear that they did not intend to increase their supply.

Moreover, the American military-industrial complex itself may find itself in a difficult situation, since Washington supplies weapons not only to Ukraine, but also to other allies, such as Taiwan, and must also satisfy the needs of its army, ”the analyst said.

By providing Kyiv with intelligence, information from satellites and training the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Washington is increasingly drawn into the conflict in Ukraine, Batyuk is sure.

“The United States actually directly coordinates the actions of the Ukrainian military, sets tasks for them and waits for their implementation.

This is an extremely dangerous situation, especially for the United States, which is playing with fire.

In addition, there are calls from American hawks for Washington to intervene directly in the conflict, as well as to provide Kyiv with weapons capable of shelling Russian territories.

The United States is walking on a knife edge, and all this can turn into the most serious consequences for them, ”the analyst said.

A similar opinion is shared by the director of the Center for Military-Political Research at MGIMO Alexei Podberyozkin.

According to him, actively using its intelligence capabilities, the American side not only coordinates, but also directly controls the Armed Forces of Ukraine, performs military planning for them, and carries out aiming to destroy targets.

“The Ukrainian command is of a subordinate nature and is the executor of what the US Department of Defense has planned.

And the current goal of the Pentagon is to drag out the conflict and escalate it, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Podberezkin believes that Washington will continue to pump weapons to Ukraine as long as Kyiv resists.

• Harm high-velocity anti-radar missile

• Legion Media

• © US Marine Corps Photo By Lance Cpl.

  Tyler Harmon

“But the main material and technical part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has already been destroyed, most of the professional military have been eliminated, as well as a huge amount of equipment, including at least seven American HIMARS MLRS.

The armored forces of Ukraine have been extremely weakened, and aviation reserves have been almost completely liquidated.

Disorganization is rapidly growing in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The decisive break, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine run, can happen at any moment, ”the analyst said.

And in this situation, the US military tranches will no longer help Ukraine, Podberyozkin believes.

“The shortage of professional military in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is not covered by recruits who are poorly adapted to combat operations, who often become just cannon fodder.

Zelensky continues to mobilize those who have no combat experience at all, as well as criminals and outcasts, but this is not a professional army that is able to effectively carry out combat missions, ”the expert concluded.