Also anti-ship missiles in the package outlined at the Brussels meeting
FROM THE CORRESPONDENT FROM WASHINGTON. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed support for Ukraine and in a 41-minute phone call announced to Zelensky that Washington will invest another billion in armaments for the Ukrainian defense forces. To these are added 225 million for humanitarian aid. To date, the United States has committed about $ 6.3 billion, of which $ 5.6 billion since February 24.
The step of the White House took place while the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin met in Brussels the allies of the Contact Group on Ukraine, 48 countries in all, including Minister Guerini who had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian counterpart Reznikov, to whom he explained that it is time to “not give in and indeed to increase efforts” since the conflict is in front of a key moment. “The stakes are too high,” Austin told allies.
A few hours earlier, Pentagon sources had illustrated the situation on the ground. Washington is convinced that the Russians have no intention of loosening their grip even if “progress on the ground is weak”. However, the American objective seems to have partially changed: there is no longer talk of a victory for the Ukrainians, as until mid-May, but of the need “to slow down Russian operations”. This is what makes the experts say that the conflict will continue for a long time and that Russian consolidation in the Donbass is not to be considered guaranteed. The Pentagon and the State Department are working on this scenario and it is necessary to keep compact not only the Western front but also to involve Zelensky who could participate in the NATO summit at the end of June. The ceasefire hypothesis is even feared as it is believed to allow Putin to reorganize forces in anticipation of a new sinking, the New York Times wrote, citing Administration sources.
If in the first phase of the conflict the Ukrainians asked for anti-aircraft weapons, Stinger and Javelin missiles, now the scenario on the ground has completely changed and Kiev – through the mouth of Zelensky’s adviser Mykhailov Podolyak – has listed the types and quantity of weapons needed: 1000 Howitzer guns, 500 tanks and a thousand reconnaissance and armed drones. They are equipment for a placement battle. Mark Milley, US Chief of Staff, has scaled down Ukrainian claims and defended the choices on American weapons: “In war – he said – no weapons system is a silver bullet”, a magical solution.
On Biden’s authorized list are 18 Howitzers, 36,000 155mm rounds and 18 tactical support vehicles, then other ammunition for mobile artillery systems and spare parts. A second 650 million weapons list will allow Washington to deliver two coastal defense systems with Harpoon missiles to Kiev, and it is the first time and a significant leap in quality; thousands of scrambled radios, night vision goggles and transportation and training funds. This latter element is decisive, especially now that the “incoming” weapons are more sophisticated. The ministBritish Defense Forces Ben Wallace, for example, said the real bottleneck lies in the need to train Ukrainians in new weapons. Position reaffirmed yesterday by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Some units are in England training to fire the long-range artillery London is delivering. In the list of weapons provided by the Pentagon, the MQ Gray Eagle drones are missing. They have a flight range of 30 hours, collect data and are armed with Hellfire missiles. Unlike Switchblades, the so-called kamikaze drones are reusable and resettable. Their use, however, requires ad hoc training that Pentagon sources have explained to Politico takes weeks, perhaps months. A timing that does not reconcile with the need expressed by Austin to immediately slow down the advance of the Russians.
Ukrainians also expressed disappointment that the promised weapons have not yet arrived. Anna Malyar, Deputy Defense Minister, said Monday that only 10% of the promised weapons have reached their destination. From Washington, Colin H. Kahl, Undersecretary of Defense for politics replied: “We are giving the Ukrainians what they need to hit targets within their territory.” A clarification that refers to the question and answer that there had been at the end of May when Biden had given the green light to the delivery of the M142 (mobile guns in practice) only after receiving assurances from Kiev that they would not be used to strike goals across the border.
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